This wasn't my idea of jewerly
Our jurisdiction has decided to experiment with the idea of electronic monitoring of some offenders. As part of the pilot project a few of us on staff and in management have agreed to wear the bracelets before the pilot to test out the equipment and how well the system works. Over the next few days I will wear this bracelet 24 hours a day and have all my movements tracked.
When I go in pre-arranged "out of bounds" places notifications will et sent and people will react. There are some "bad" things I am supposed to do and others I am free to be inventive about trying. All in the name of seeing how well the process works.
I am interested though in the human dynamics of the thing. The plan is that we will use the device as an alternative to more serious action. For example, when an offender might be returned to jail for a less serious breach of his/ her parole conditions or to confirm that an offender is respecting their curfew if one is imposed.
But how much privacy and personal information am I prepared to "trade" for this extra freedom ?
For example, the bracelet reports where I am on a regular predetermined frequency. Every so often it "rats me out"...he's at home, he's on Main Street going south, he's in a grocery store, he's at 500 whatever street. In agreeing to be one of the test volunteers I had to agree to let my normal routine be observed by the pilot monitor. Suddenly I had to think about where I do go during a week and who I am with and what I am doing.
I'm not a bad person, or necessarily all that wild, but if I linger over a coke in a bar while a friend pours out his "she done me wrong" story, will it be believed I wasn't boozing it up? Do I want to explain who I'm dating and how much time (and at what hours) I'm at their house?
The device requires recharging for a full two hours, at which time I am tethered to an electrical outlet by a 10 foot chord. the recharging cannot be interrupted and must be done every day. I've had to reorganize my schedule around this new imposition and am amazed to realize how much moving around I do in the run of an evening. At work there is NO hope I could sit still for two ours between meetings and assorted other things.
I will wear the bracelet with shorts and a T-shirt tonight to do my laundry. What will my neighbours in the building think ? Will they say anything ? Do they have a right to know I am being monitored...if I think not, then that dictates what i am free to wear.
This isn't, for me, about whether electronic monitoring is right or wrong. My participation is about the impact on the person. What impact do they experience in exchnage as a result. How will that impact make me feel about freedom and fear and society's ability to extract the price of that impact for what it gains form my being monitored.
I hope it turns out to be as interesting an experience as I suspect it will. I'll keep you posted if you are interested.