The cyberpunk novelist William Gibson once said: “Technologies are morally neutral until we apply them.”
The 24th Council of Europe Conference of Directors of Prison and Probation Services "Offender Management: Tradition and Technology" discussed how new technologies influence the management of offenders in the 21st century, the positive changes brought in by them and the place of the human factor in dealing with persons in detention or under probation.
Are the services ready to face this phenomenon and what are the ethical implications of the use of new technologies? What benefits do they bring to staff and to offenders, what risks and dangers are to be avoided?
The participants heard about traditional working methods with suspects and offenders, whether these are impacted by the digital transformation which rapidly enters the market of execution of penal sanctions and measures and what safeguards need to be put in place.
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Interview Mr Jan Kleijssen (CyprusMail)
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