“Stalked by the State”: GPS Surveillance Technology And Sex Offender Parolees

• In Event: Surveillance in the Criminal Justice System & Society

Abstract

Based on feminist Science and Technology Studies(STS) frameworks that conceive of technology as both a source and consequence of gendered relations, this paper explores a criminological topic of concern:
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) as a tool for the management of sex offender parolees in the community. Previous criminological research on this topic has largely focused on experimental/quantitative projects dedicated to understanding the effectiveness of GPS surveillance technology to curb re-offending patterns. Instead, this paper focuses on narratives with sex offenders in the USA as they
articulate their understandings of GPS including their everyday experiences with a technology that tracks and monitors them for life.Therefore, qualitative research with sex offender parolees living with GPS will highlight themes associated with adverse feelings, body modifications, and responsiblisation techniques. Specifically, Donna
Haraway’s (1991) cyborg will be used as a metaphor for analysing the sociotechnical relationships to which these participants find themselves involved.

Keywords: GPS, Surveillance, Parole, Sex Offenders, Cyborg

Author

• Emily Troshynski, University of Nevada, Las Vegas