Sustainable Policy Measures Based on Implementation of Digital Technologies in Corrections: Exploratory Study from Slovakia and Beyond

Kamila Borseková, Jaroslav Klátik, Samuel Koróny, Peter Krištofík, Peter Mihók and Martin Orviský
Additional contact information
Kamila Borseková: Faculty of Economics, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 10, 97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Jaroslav Klátik: Faculty of Law, Matej Bel University, 97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Samuel Koróny: Faculty of Economics, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 10, 97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Peter Krištofík: Faculty of Economics, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 10, 97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Peter Mihók: Faculty of Economics, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 10, 97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Martin Orviský: Faculty of Law, Matej Bel University, 97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 20, 1-18

Abstract: Across the world, millions of people are incarcerated every year, while hundreds of thousands of them are released back into their home communities. Despite several alternatives within the criminal justice system, incarceration is still considered as the most natural method of correction. This can lead to different types of unsustainable pathways within a society. Despite the growing importance and increasing use of digital technologies, there are relatively few scientific studies related to the implementation of digital technologies in corrections. Therefore, the present paper aims to assess the sustainable policy measures based on the implementation of digital technologies in corrections, namely electronic monitoring (EM). The originality of our paper is supported by unique primary data gathered during the first national survey on the assessment of sustainability measures of EM in Slovakia. Our research reveals that EM implementation contributes to individual and institutional resilience in a socio-economic context; the requirements for a conditional release of serious offenders with mandatory EM seem to have created sustainable conditions for the use of this form of the EM “back door” scheme. EM programs are aimed at suppressing crime through increased accountability and monitoring, which leads to their sustainability. Maintaining social and family ties, reducing risk of imprisonment and undesirable new ties, and keeping working habits are the main sustainable policy measures of EM that support better social inclusion of offenders. Assessment of the sustainable policy measures based on the implementation of digital technologies in corrections, namely electronic monitoring (EM) uncovered in the present paper, creates space for further research and policy implications. Data protection, automated data processing and artificial intelligence in the implementation of digital technologies in corrections are important topics that deserve much more attention in research.

Keywords: digital technologies; sustainable policy measure; electronic monitoring (EM); cost effectiveness; legal context; socio-economic context (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8643/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8643/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:20:p:8643-:d:430969

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().