Electronic monitoring has many potential ethical pitfalls

by | Mar 3, 2025 | Analysis

 

 

Electronic monitoring has many potential ethical pitfalls. In this activity, you will examine ethical issues associated with electronic monitoring in the criminal justice system.

Scenario
Imagine that the local court system has just revamped their bail procedures, and the effect of these changes has resulted in a large increase in the number of defendants being released as opposed to being kept in custody until their court date. The probation department has been tasked with finding technology that will allow the department to monitor this much larger number of defendants without needing to increase staffing. There have been public reactions questioning the ethical nature of electronic monitoring devices used by the corrections system. It is your job to create talking points that address three ethical concerns of your choosing.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Talking Points: Addressing Ethical Concerns of Electronic Monitoring

Introduction:

“The recent changes to our bail procedures have necessitated the use of electronic monitoring to ensure public safety and defendant compliance. We understand that this technology raises ethical questions, and we are committed to addressing these concerns transparently and responsibly.”

Ethical Concern 1: Privacy and Surveillance

  • Talking Points:
    • “Electronic monitoring, by its very nature, involves a degree of surveillance. We recognize that this can intrude on an individual’s right to privacy.
    • We are committed to using this technology in a manner that is proportionate to the risk posed by the defendant. We will only collect data that is directly relevant to monitoring compliance with court-ordered conditions, such as location and curfew adherence.
    • We have implemented strict protocols to protect the confidentiality of the data collected. Access to this information is limited to authorized personnel and is used solely for the purpose of monitoring compliance and ensuring public safety.

Talking Points: Addressing Ethical Concerns of Electronic Monitoring

Introduction:

“The recent changes to our bail procedures have necessitated the use of electronic monitoring to ensure public safety and defendant compliance. We understand that this technology raises ethical questions, and we are committed to addressing these concerns transparently and responsibly.”

Ethical Concern 1: Privacy and Surveillance

  • Talking Points:
    • “Electronic monitoring, by its very nature, involves a degree of surveillance. We recognize that this can intrude on an individual’s right to privacy.
    • We are committed to using this technology in a manner that is proportionate to the risk posed by the defendant. We will only collect data that is directly relevant to monitoring compliance with court-ordered conditions, such as location and curfew adherence.
    • We have implemented strict protocols to protect the confidentiality of the data collected. Access to this information is limited to authorized personnel and is used solely for the purpose of monitoring compliance and ensuring public safety.
    • We will provide clear and comprehensive information to defendants about the data being collected, how it is being used, and their rights regarding this information.
    • We will have a regular auditing process, to ensure that the data collected is only that which is needed.”

Ethical Concern 2: Potential for Bias and Discrimination

  • Talking Points:
    • “We are aware that the use of electronic monitoring could disproportionately affect certain populations, particularly those from marginalized communities.
    • We are committed to ensuring that our monitoring practices are fair and equitable. We will regularly analyze data to identify and address any potential biases in our system.
    • We will provide training to our staff on cultural competency and implicit bias to ensure that monitoring decisions are made fairly and without prejudice.
    • We will work with community stakeholders to address concerns about potential disparities and to develop strategies for mitigating them.
    • We will regularly review the data, to ensure that there is not a disproportionate amount of any one group being monitored.”

Ethical Concern 3: Impact on Rehabilitation and Reintegration

  • Talking Points:
    • “We recognize that excessive or overly restrictive electronic monitoring could hinder a defendant’s ability to rehabilitate and reintegrate into society.
    • We are committed to using electronic monitoring in a way that balances public safety with the defendant’s need for rehabilitation.
    • We will work with defendants to develop individualized monitoring plans that are tailored to their specific needs and circumstances.
    • We will provide defendants with access to support services, such as job training and counseling, to help them succeed during their monitoring period.
    • We will have a process to review the monitoring period, and to remove the monitoring when it is no longer needed.
    • We will seek feedback from those who have been monitored, to improve the process.”

Conclusion:

“We believe that electronic monitoring can be a valuable tool for ensuring public safety and defendant compliance. However, we are committed to using this technology in a responsible and ethical manner. We will continue to engage with the community and stakeholders to address concerns and to ensure that our monitoring practices are fair, transparent, and effective.”

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