"Report Says Electronic Tagging Could Cut Prison Populations" 
Australian Associated Press (07/22/03) 

The Australian Institute of Criminology released a paper, co-authored 
by Russell Smith and Matt Black, showing electronic monitoring rather 
than prison terms is successful in both reducing prison populations 
and increasing the chances for rehabilitation by maintaining family 
relationships and employment.  

"Major cost savings may be achieved through building fewer prisons as 
well as reducing the cost of administering custodial sentences," the 
authors explain. Previous electronic monitoring tools relied on missile 
tracking technology, but current technology tracks criminals via satellite 
positioning. The devices, can be worn on the ankle, while later 
generations may be surgically implanted to reveal not only location 
but also blood-alcohol levels.  

However, Smith and Black caution that criminals can still involve 
themselves in crime and violence. Many ethical and practical aspects 
of electronic monitoring need attention before the practice is fully 
adopted, the authors note. The paper indicates that electronic 
monitoring has yet to be widely adopted throughout Australia. 
http://aap.com.au/

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News Summary should be cited as the source of the information. 
Copyright 2003, Information Inc., Bethesda, MD.  

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Source: NLECTC - http://www.nlectc.org/justnetnews/weeklynews.html

Cheers, Steve..

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