THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Monitoring devices hailed as a success

Monitoring devices hailed as a success

ONE YEAR after its introduction, electronic monitoring (EM) has brought hope that the country can ease overcrowding in prisons, deliver a better probation system, and help people convicted of non-serious crimes maintain a fairly normal life.

“We can still go to work,” said a 21-year-old man who, along with his girlfriend, was found guilty of street racing on January 13.
With EM devices around their ankles, they can still earn a living as factory workers in Samut Prakan. The devices were attached on March 2.
“We are happy that the court has sentenced us to a three-month probation instead of a three-month jail term. At least we don’t lose our jobs and we will not have to bear the stigma of being prisoners,” he said on condition of anonymity.
He and his girlfriend hide the devices by wearing long trousers.
EM devices monitor convicts on probation by checking that they are not travelling over the allowed speed limit, they do not visit prohibited places, and they do not go out during certain periods of the day.
Through the use of a global positioning system, the devices send data in real time.
Probation Department director general Kannikar Saengthong said in an exclusive interview with The Nation that the EM project had been a success.
“During its first phase between February to September 2014, this project had 254 probationers using EM bracelets. All of the detainees were released from probation without any problems,” Kannikar said.
She said the EM project was now in its second phase, with 3,000 probationers wearing bracelets in 22 provinces and Bangkok.
She admitted that currently the benefit of the device on reducing prison overcrowding was not clearly apparent because the project was yet to be adopted nationwide. However, the Probation Department was planning to enlarge the project to cover every province by the next fiscal year.
In order to see how the bracelet works and how efficient the EM system is, The Nation had an opportunity to visit an electronic monitoring control centre.
On the big screen, a real-time map with moving dots showed the location of all the probationers at any given time. The dots indicated the names of probationers and where they were going. A sidebar on the left of the map showed details of the probationers: full name, phone number, their offence and speed.
Sangduen Sangbua-ngamlom, chief of the control centre, said the data on the screen was sent by a GPS system located in a transmitter inside the bracelet.
She said the probationers were barred from entering and leaving certain places, moving faster than 60 km/h, and veering off a designated direction, although conditions varied from case to case.
“The officers in 27 monitoring centres across the country are working 24 hours a day to ensure the probationers do not violate their conditions. The restrictions will prevent them from repeating the same offence and keep them safe,” Sangduen said.
“If they violate the rules, their names will pop up in the right sidebar and we shall call them to warn them about their violation.”
Once the waterproof bracelet is locked, the only way to take it off is by using a special tool at a probation office.
The devices are battery powered, so they need to be charged regularly. If the battery is low or someone tries to take off the bracelet, a signal will be sent to a monitoring centre.
 

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