Electronic surveillance system in Poland as a non-custodial alternative to imprisonment – within criminological and criminal law approach

• In Event: Technology and surveillance in community sanctions and measures

Abstract

Undoubtedly, imprisonment is associated with many negative consequences, which is why it is treated as a last resort (ultima ratio) in the Polish legal system. The Electronic Surveillance System (SDE), introduced to the Polish legal system in 2007, is a significant alternative to the isolative execution of imprisonment.
The aim of the article is to analyze the functioning of SDE in Poland as an alternative to impris-onment and to show its significant role in the state's criminal policy, in particular, its impact on the resocialization process, the level of recidivism and the effectiveness in reducing the adverse effects of penitentiary isolation. In connection with this, the genesis and development of the electronic surveillance system in Poland and the premises for its application will be presented. The impact of SDE on the resocialization of convicts will be emphasized, especially as a means of maintaining social and family ties, as well as its importance in reducing recidivism. In addition, the impact of SDE on reducing the number of prisoners in prisons will be analyzed. The analysis will be based on the latest statistical data from the Central Board of the Prison Service and studies by the Institute of Justice. The article will also present challenges and limitations related to the functioning of elec-tronic surveillance in Poland and possible directions of its development in the context of international trends in penal policy.

Author

• Justyna Konikowska-Kuczyńska, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Bialystok, Poland