Are there risks that probation will become too dependent on technology through such methods as supervision kiosks, for example, and thereby fail to devote sufficient human resources for supervision and services?
Are there risks that technical failures, such as erroneously believing that an electronical device is working properly, will lead to problems that increased human supervision might have prevented?
Probation
Full Answer Section
Here are some specific examples of how technical failures could lead to problems:
- A probationer could fail to report to a supervision kiosk, and the kiosk could not detect the failure. This could lead to the probationer violating their probation.
- A probationer could tamper with a supervision kiosk, and the kiosk could not detect the tampering. This could allow the probationer to violate their probation without being detected.
- A supervision kiosk could malfunction and fail to track a probationer's whereabouts. This could lead to the probationer being in a place that they are not supposed to be, and it could also put the public at risk.
Sample Answer
There are a number of risks associated with probation becoming too dependent on technology. One risk is that probation departments may fail to devote sufficient human resources for supervision and services. This could happen if probation departments rely too heavily on technology to monitor probationers, and as a result, they do not have enough staff to provide the necessary support and services.
Another risk is that technical failures could lead to problems that increased human supervision might have prevented. For example, if a supervision kiosk malfunctions, it could fail to track a probationer's whereabouts or compliance with the terms of their probation. This could lead to the probationer violating their probation, and it could also put the public at risk.