Electronic Monitoring in Europe: A Case Study of Five Jurisdictions

• In Event: Electronic Monitoring in Europe

Abstract

Prison populations in most EU member states have been increasing. The drivers of rising prison populations vary between jurisdictions. In some jurisdictions, pre-trial detainees comprise a high and increasing proportion of the prison population. In others, increasing sentenced populations have driven populations up. Conventional measures to divert defendants/offenders from prison focus on only one of these growth areas. By contrast, electronic monitoring (EM) potentially provides a universal mechanism for reducing prison populations because it is a tool which can and is deployed at every stage of the criminal justice process. This paper will explore the findings of an European Commission funded comparative study of EM in five jurisdictions (Belgium, England and Wales, Germany, The Netherlands and Scotland). The focus of the project is on how EM can be used more creativity and effectively. The paper will explore how EM operates in the five jurisdictions drawing out lessons for best practice and suggesting ways in which EM might be shaped to ensure its humane, just and proportionate current and future use.

Author

• Anthea Hucklesby, University of Leeds UK