Modern technology
The world today relies heavily on technology in undertaking any task at hand. Technological advancements have improved efficiency in different sectors. The justice department is one sector that has benefited greatly. In every society, some offenders threaten to disrupt peaceful coexistence. Punishment is one vice used to deter and rehabilitate offenders. Technology integration in passing punishment has made positive progress; today, technology can collect evidence easily and more efficiently. This discussion will highlight some of the impacts that technology has brought to the process of punishing crime.
The society today thrives under the rule of law to ensure that order is maintained. The laws offer a provision for the creation of a legal system. Its mandate is to pass judgment on offenders. The process of punishing law offenders is done in a way that ensures fairness. The process is systematically carried out to ensure that the verdict of a case is thoroughly researched. The first evidence is collected to create a strong case, the evidence is then reviewed, and finally, a judgment is made through a judicial system.
The integration of technology into punishing offenders mainly aims to ensure the right decisions are made. Technology improves evidence gathering; the use of cameras, for example, can assist in capturing footage and images of crimes when they occur. Speed cameras can give crucial evidence that a driver was in breach of the speed limit. Red-light cameras can capture images of perpetrators who run red lights on the streets. The evidence eliminates any shred of doubt that the offenders committed the crime presented. They can, therefore, get the punishment for their crime.
Technology has enabled the justice department to exploit the use of big data; the creation of criminal justice databases enables experts to identify criminals using fingerprints and DNA quickly. The databases reduce the amount of time used in the identification process. The overall outcome will be a reduced time in the process of administering punishment to the offender. The technology can be applied in cases where the offenders are non-cooperative. If they refuse to give their information, the system can be used as an alternative source of information. Technology has provided a means of accessing criminal records faster. Before, hardcopy files were mostly used to store records of offenders. Tracing them was a challenge since one had to access the files manually. The process of retrieving them was tedious and time-consuming. With the existence of databases, it is now possible to get the electronic records remotely. Accessing them saves time, and it doesn’t require physical space to store them.
The use of Rapid Identification systems has positively impacted the process of punishing offenders. The system enables the justice team to access an individual’s records remotely.
A good example can be seen where a traffic police officer can access a driver’s record even when they don’t have their license on them. They can administer fines to them on the spot. In such a case, the administering of punishment is immediate; they get fined on the spot with minimal disruption to their schedules. Before technology, they would be required to go to the station to pay their fines.
Technology plays a big role in ensuring that perpetrators get the punishment they deserve. Through technology, the legal team can put up a strong case that ensures the right conviction is made. As mentioned earlier, DNA and fingerprint databases can be used to identify perpetrators. If they left their fingerprints or DNA on the crime scene, they could identify them, allowing the criminal justice department t to bring them to book. Technology, like the use of CCTV, enables the justice department to build a solid case. They can submit footage of the captured crime, thereby enabling the judicial system to make a well-informed decision on the punishment that fits an offender.
Technology has improved on how the judicial system works. It has enabled the judicial system to solve mobility; a judge can now preside over two cases placed in different locations. Technology has made it possible for courts to run despite prevailing limitations; for instance, during this Covid-19 period, public court hearings are limited as they encourage public gathering. Courts can, however, continue with their proceeding online. Technology has enabled the judgment process to continue without a glitch. There is no threat of Covid spread as everything is done online. Witnesses who are geographically placed in a different location can still show up for the proceedings via Skype. There is flexibility in the way courts can now run. The flexibility enables them to carry out sentencing without the fear of backlogs.
Detection, Monitoring, and Positioning Systems help the criminal justice system to detect and neutralize crimes as they happen. For example, gunshot technology gives a police officer instant data of where the shots got fired, the number of shooters, and how many shots were fired. The data facilitates speedy response. The officers can capture and bring to book the offenders hence fast-tracking the punishment process. The use of drones and surveillance cameras provide valuable insights to the police during operations. The footage they record can also be used as evidence to build a compelling case and ensure that perpetrators get the punishment they deserve.
Another technological advancement that directly impacts the criminal justice system is the application of machine learning. Machine learning can be employed to generate risk scores. The technology uses the computation feature to determine whether someone arrested should be detained before trial. The technology has facial software that identifies offenders during an arrest. The software then crunches data to reveal prior offenses that the perpetrator has, thereby giving vital detail on whether they should get detained. The technology serves the purpose of faster decision making when apprehending offenders. Another advantage that comes with the technology is that it eliminates cases of human bias. The data that the computer analyses relate to a criminal act and not their race. Employing technology in full will eliminate issues of racial biasness.
Cases of congestions in prisons have raised concerns about the fitness of incarceration in many countries. Some countries are trying to seek a technological solution to the problem. Electronic monitoring and surveillance promise to solve the challenge. Instead of congesting prisoners in one location, the technology can help make home arrests a success. Employing the use of cameras, audio recordings, and GPS monitors, small-time offenders can easily get confined to their homes. The technology will reduce the cost of incarceration while at the same time offering a solid solution for prison congestion. Cases of defilements and murders in prisons will also greatly reduce.
Technology has created an online source for quality information on criminal behavior. By recording crime data on a computer, computer software can analyze and give patterns on criminal behavior. A good example is the use of gunshot sensors. They can triangulate a gunshot’s location, detect the gun type, and send the data to the police station. When several similar incidences occur, they get collected to the database. Further analysis of the data can show the places where gunshot incidences frequently occur hence helping the police department increase the number of patrols in the area. The data can also identify which guns are mostly used to commit crimes in the given region.
Another important impact of technology on punishing offenders is the improvement of accuracy in passing judgment. Technology provides a platform where evidence can get displayed. The use of recorded footage, images can help to add more depth to a case. Online databases can be used as a source of precedence on similar cases that have been tried. The judicial system can, therefore, search and use the cases to arrive at an informed penalty.
From the discussion above, it is evident that technology has had a great impact on punishing offenders. Investigations and case determinations are now done faster. The quality of punishment determination is now better. Technology facilitates the provision of evidence to make a compelling case. Surveillance equipment has aided in capturing offenders while on the act. Right now, it is easy to solve ambiguous cases using the technology found in forensics. Investigators can recreate the crime scene and recover useful information that could help capture and convict offenders. Technology has also helped to streamline communication in the justice department. The impact made has improved the efficiency of punishing offenders. Cases tried are well informed; databases’ existence makes it possible to access the offender’s past criminal records. The information can be used to determine the best form of punishment to administer. Legal system workers can now share data without having to make long trips. Technology has improved the process of punishing offenders in a big way.