Doing TECHNO

A good story on how TECHNOCORRECTIONS gets sold, this time a different kind of anklet that is hooked to GPS and allows authorities to set zones within a jurisdiction that will set it off, along with a built-in cell phone to allow agents to talk directly to offenders. They’re looking at adding those sweat analyzer things in the near future. The salesman in WY is a former sheriff and bail bondsman whose company is “Freedom Fighters,” not exactly your touchy feely kinda org. The DOC head there seems to have his head on straight, even wearing one himself for a while and seeing how it worked. He sees best applications for drug offenders like “meth moms” who might not have to do the more expensive jail time. More importantly for taxpayers, he says that the device may be a way to help ease prison crowding, address a shortage of jailers and save the state money on working with low-risk offenders, all while helping get parolees back to work. "We need to try something else," he said. "Building new prisons doesn't work."

(h/t Real Cost of Prisons)