GPS-EM Sanctions for Serious Sex Offenders: The Application and Outcomes in the USA and Australia

• In Event: Treatment of Sex Offenders

Abstract

In the United States of America (USA) and subsequently in Australia the utilisation of Global Positioning Systems – Electronic Monitoring (GPS-EM) proliferated in the mid-2000s as part of the populist ‘tough on crime’ agenda. These surveillance-oriented sanctions are applied on serious sex offenders usually post their original sentences. This article critically examines the application and outcomes of GPS-EM sanctions in the USA and Australia. USA evaluations have indicated that to be successful GPS-EM sanctions must contain offender treatment, be appropriately funded, and have an effectively run centralized monitoring centre. Research about GPS-EM sanctions in Australia is yet to be conducted.

Author

• Marietta Martinovic, RMIT University