Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Self-Monitoring

This article on electronic monitoring to replace incarceration sounds like a deficit hawk's dream. But it gets a little alarmist at times:
But the real purpose of any form of Panopticon justice—that is, the certainty of discovery and punishment—is to force the criminal to monitor himself. The Panopticon effectively outsources the role of prison guard to the prisoners themselves. And to be constantly on watch may wear at the psyche in ways difficult to predict.
I monitor myself all the time. It's called being an adult, or having a conscience. Eventually it becomes habit, and subconscious. And isn't that what we want? For people to have a habit of being law* abiding?

* Blah blah many laws are bad laws etc. I'd rather be monitored as punishment for breaking a bad law than go to prison.
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