February 05, 2002
There's nothing new under the sun ...
When my kids were small, they would take their stuffed animals everywhere. We'd talk to each of these soft, cuddly personas as if they could hear us, frequently filling in their half of the conversation. From teddy bears to lions, from elephants to dolphins, dogs and leopards, you never knew when Spots, Patrick or Pookie might come along to friends' houses, or even trips to the supermarket.
Sure, we'd get some strange looks hauling the larger ones around, but our family policy was clear: "Wild animals must be able roam free. You can't lock them up."
I thought of our mobile menagerie recently while I was pondering a new technology that's coming into use.
Some states have begun to fit parolees with electronic ankle bracelets which are wirelessly hooked up to a nearby G.P.S. unit. This base unit looks to me like a heavy-duty Sony Walkman, and as long as you're within about 100 feet of it, you're free to move about the premises.
Gotta go to work? Just take the base unit along.
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When a person is outfitted with this technology, his whereabouts are continually recorded. Think you'll cruise that street corner where the drug scene is and get out before anyone spots you? Think again. And for those who've been ordered to stay away from mates, there's just no fudging. Don't bother to argue about whether it was you or not lurking in that parking lot - either you were ... or you weren't. The witness is technology.
Soon, house arrest can become "location arrest." A myriad of approved activities, like work and visits to the doctor, can be specified, including particular dates and times. Take your base unit with you, and all will be fine.
But still, we need to know more.
It's not enough that it pages your corrections officer, should you step outside the 100' boundary. There are still no controls on what you do when you're within range.
And even the cold, hard precision of this technology doesn't stop humans from being human. With just the thousand or so in use today, there are already plenty of violations, especially on Friday nights.
While that may not surprise you, try this: the number of infractions also goes up when there's a full moon.
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If the choice offered to me was jail or G.P.S., I'd pick the ankle bracelet every time. Yet, the whole idea gives me the willies. I can only imagine what it would be like to lay in bed at night and feel that ever-present shackle.
So while there's every reason to use this technology, we need to look for the hidden downsides. I just can't shake the feeling that there's something inhumane about it, that it will have some unforeseen effect on the human psyche. In fact, I'd say we can almost count on it.
In the United States today, over 100,000 people are currently subject to some kind of remote supervision, and the number of people on parole or probation runs into the millions. Could we possibly believe there would be no consequences if we put some of those millions in electronic shackles?
Now is as good a time as any to remind ourselves -- human beings are wild animals; they are meant to roam free.
I'm Moira Gunn. This is Five Minutes.
