The New Technology of Crime Law and Social Control

1
The New Technology of Crime Law and Social
Control

• Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the
  American Society of Criminology, Los Angeles, CA.
  November 2, 2006

2
The New Technology of Crime Prevention

• Hard Technology
• CCTV
• Street Lighting
• Citizen Protection Devices (e.g. mace, tasers)
• Metal Detectors
• Ignition Interlock Systems (drunk drivers)

• Soft Technology
• Threat Assessment Instruments
• Bullying ID Protocol
• Sex Offender Registration
• Risk Assessment prior to involuntary civil
  commitment
• Profiling

3
The New Technology of Policing

• Hard Technology
• Improved police protection (vests, cars)
• Improved/new weapons
• Less than lethal force
• Computers in squad cars
• Hands free patrol car control (Project 54)
• Offender and citizen IDs via biometrics/fingerpri
  nts

• Soft Technology
• Crime mapping (hot spots)
• Crime analysis (e.g. COMPSTAT)
• Criminal history data systems enhancement
• Info sharing within CJS and private sector

4
The New Technology of Law and Courts

• Hard Technology
• The high tech courtroom (computers, video,
  cameras, design features of buildings)
• Weapon detection devices
• Video conferencing
• Electronic court documents
• Drug testing at pretrial satge

• Soft Technology
• Case flow mgmnt systems
• Radio frequency identification technology
• Data warehousing
• Automation of court records
• Problem-oriented courts

5
The New Technology of Institutional Corrections

• Hard Technology
• Contraband detection devices
• Duress alarm systems
• Language translation devices
• Remote monitoring
• Perimeter screening
• Less than lethal force in prison
• Prison design
• Expanded use of segregation units

• Soft Technology
• Use of simulations as training tools (mock riots)
• Facial Recognition software
• New inmate classification systems
  (external/internal)
• Within prison crime analysis (hot spots high
  rate offenders)
• Info sharing with police, community, victims, and
  community-based corrections (reentry)

6
The New Technology of Community Corrections

• Hard Technology
• GPS, language translators
• Breathalyzers, instant drug tests
• Polygraph tests
• Laptops for line staff
• GPS for staff location

• Soft Technology
• New classification devices for sex, drugs, and MI
  offenders
• New workload software
• Info sharing with community, police, treatment
  providers

7
Three Critical Issues to Consider

• Will new technology applications in criminal
  justice result in the replacement of people
  with things?
• Will technological advancements in the area of
  offender control minimize the possibilities for
  individual community change?
• 3. What are the long term consequences of
  privatization of key technology related CJ
  system functions?

8
The New Technology of Crime

• The Impact of Technology on Criminality
  Schlegel Cohen
• 3 Distinct Opportunity Structures
• Crime at work
• Crime as work
• Crime after work

9
The New Technology of Crime AT Work Some
Examples

• Embezzlement
• Money Laundering/Financial Frauds
• Credit Card Fraud by Employees
• Corporate Espionage (via bots, email monitoring,
  pretexting
• Theft/Sale of Private, Confidential, Personal
  Data
• The Spreading of Viruses Malicious Codes (to
  gain competitive advantage)

10
The New Technology of Crime AS Work Some Examples

• Internet Fraud Schemes Nigerian letter, online
  auctions, drug/health frauds, lottery frauds,
  revictimization frauds
• Telemarketing Fraud Schemes Investments,
  promotions, sales
• Identity Theft
• Credit Card/Check Fraud
• Phishing (for Profit)
• Internet Sex Crimes
• Sale of Private, Confidential, Personal Data
• Internet Piracy
• Theft of Computers, Computer Software, Internet
  Access

11
The New Technology of Crime AFTER Work

• Internet Sex Crimes (Sex tourism, child
  pornography, child predators/solicitation)
• Internet Hate Crimes
• Internet Stalking
• Cyber-Terrorism
• Spreading Viruses and Malicious Codes
• Hacking/Illegal Access to Data

12
Technology, Crime Control, the Private Sector
in the 21st Century Rebovich Martino

• Addresses private sector contributions to the
  prevention of computer based crimes and identity
  theft
• What are the consequences for crime control the
  public when the private sector is increasingly
  responsible for historically public sector
  systems?

13
The New Technology of Criminal Justice

• Crime Prevention
• Courts
• Community Corrections

• Policing
• Institutional Corrections

14
The New Technology of Crime Prevention

• What is Crime Prevention?
• Activities vs. Outcomes
• Reduction of Risk Factors vs. Growth in
  Protective Factors

15
Hard Technology of Crime Prevention Welsh
Farrington

• Key Focus Two technologies with known effects
  CCTV and Improved Street Lighting
• Key Issues Can these UK-based successes be
  translated to the US?

16
Crime Prevention Soft Technology A. Harris
Lurigio

• Key Focus
• 1. Risk Assessment (sex offenders and
• mentally ill offenders
• 2. Threat Assessment (school violence
  terrorism)
• Key Issue What is the appropriate balance
  between considerations of risk and stakes?

17
The New Technology of Policing Hard
Technology Applications - Hummer

• Key Focus
• 1.Non-Lethal Weaponry
• 2. Non-Electric Immobilizing Devices
• 3. Technology to Reduce the Number of Vehicular
  Pursuits
• 4. Technology to Improve Officer Safety
• Key Issues
• 1. Militarization of Police
• 2. Evidence-Based review of the effectiveness of
  hard technology applications

18
Soft Technology and Policing C. Harris

• Key Focus
• Data Collection Management
• Data- Driven Police Strategies
• Key Issues
• 1. Will advances in data utilization
  revolutionize or simply enhance traditional
  practices?

19
The Courts and Hard Technology Applying
Technological Solutions to Legal Issues - Bellone

• Key Focus Implementation of technological
  innovations in courtroom settings throughout key
  decision points in the court process (e.g.
  pretrial preparation jury deliberations)
• Key Issues
• 1. Little knowledge of what works in hard
  technology for courts
• 2. Is slow pace of such innovations warranted?

20
The Courts and Soft Technology - Corbett

• Key focus Current Implementations automated
  court record systems, on-line access to case
  information, electronic court documents, data
  warehouses
• Key Issues
• One-third of all IT projects for courts are
  cancelled before completion
• A fraction of IT projects are completed on time
  and under budget
• Most IT projects cost nearly twice as much as
  projected

21
Hard Technology of Institutional Corrections -
Stowell

• Key Focus
• Facility Monitoring
• Inmate/Officer Interactions
• High Risk Inmate Control
• Key Issues Inmate numbers increasing and
  budgets decreasing equates to hard choices in
  applications of technology to offender control
  vs. offender treatment

22
Soft Technology Institutional Corrections
Byrne Lurigio

• Key Focus
• New techniques for classification of inmates
  subsequent offender location decisions
• New offender monitoring strategies
• Problem-Oriented conflict resolution strategies
• Information sharing within CJ system
• Risk assessment in reentry initiatives
• Performance Measurement systems
• Key Issues How can the various forms of soft
  technology be revised to emphasize the goal of
  offender change rather than short term offender
  control?

23
Applications of Hard Technology to Community
Corrections P. Harris

• Key Focus
• Electronic Monitoring of offenders on active
  supervision
• New drug testing technology
• Technologies for alcohol-involved offenders
• Technologies for managing sex offenders
• Automated reporting systems
• Key Issues
• The continuing debate between advocates of
  control and proponents of treatment-oriented
  community corrections strtegies
• The consequences of privtization of certain
  community corrections functions

24
Community Corrections Soft Technology
Pattavina Taxman

• Key Focus
• New generation of classification instruments in
  community corrections
• New approaches to offender treatment based on
  Risk Need Responsivity model
• New case management information technology
• New approaches to information sharing, crime
  mapping, the assessment of risk level of
  offenders
• Key Issues Advances in soft technology have
  resulted in more control over offenders but have
  these same advances undermined attempts to change
  individual behavior?

25
Concluding Comments

• The Limits of Technology
• We need to consider the unintended consequences
  of our ongoing quest for technological solutions
  for social problems
• We need to find ways to use technology to
  reinforce moral performance at both the
  institutional and individual levels