Recent cases show devices prone to manipulation
By Lee Hyo-sik
Concerns are growing over the effectiveness of electronic anklets as more and more sex offenders wearing the devices continue to reoffend.
A number of convicts have been able to leave their residential areas without obtaining permits and then committed crimes while still wearing the anklets. Others have fled after destroying the devices and later committed sexual offenses.
The government began using electronic anklets in 2008 as an attempt to reduce the number of sex offenses committed. However, so far, this has not been achieved.
It is mandatory for convicted sex offenders to wear the electronic tags for designated periods of time after they are released from prison. They are also required not to leave their residential areas without being granted special permission to do so from their probation officers.
Experts say that to increase the effectiveness of electronic anklets, law enforcement authorities should impose harsher penalties on sex offenders who violate the rules. They suggest that the government hire more probation officers to better monitor ex-convicts wearing the devices, while continuing to upgrade the technology to prevent offenders from repeatedly offending.
On July 27, a sex offender surnamed Yeon, 32, was not reprimanded by his probation officer. Yet, it was established that over the past two years, he had repeatedly left his residential district in southern Seoul without authorization.
Yeon was convicted of raping two women in Daegu in 2001 and 2005. When he was released from prison in 2010, he was ordered to wear a locator device for five years. Yeon has been under surveillance by the Seoul Southern Probation Office ever since.
By law, the probation office is required to request a police investigation if a sex offender wearing an anklet leaves home without being granted a permit or permission. However, in Yeon's case, the office did not inform senior authorities despite him violating the rules 16 times.
Some critics also question the anklet's durability, as some sex offenders have easily destroyed the electronic devices.
On Aug. 10, police arrested a convicted sex offender, surnamed Shin, 42, who disabled his electronic monitoring anklet and then sexually assaulted a waitress in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, days later. Shin said it was easy to remove the device from his ankle after banging it repeatedly on a hard surface.
"There are many incidents that make people doubt the usefulness of the electronic anklet worn by sex criminals," said Prof. Lee Yoon-ho at the department of police administration at Dongguk University. "The device shows the location of each convict. However, it cannot monitor what they do in real time. Perhaps, the government can introduce a more updated device that can relay what criminals do in real time."
Lee said that psychologically the anklet helps deter criminals from committing crimes. "However, if they are not reprimanded for breaking the rules, its effectiveness decreases greatly. So, probation officers should strengthen monitoring sex offenders whether they break the devices or leave their residential areas without permission."
Probation officers should refer any violators to the police for investigation at all times, the professor stressed. "Given the shortage of probation officers, the government needs to hire more of them. In addition, the probation office should work closely with the police in monitoring sex criminals once they are released from jail."
By Lee Hyo-sik
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| An electronic anklet |
A number of convicts have been able to leave their residential areas without obtaining permits and then committed crimes while still wearing the anklets. Others have fled after destroying the devices and later committed sexual offenses.
The government began using electronic anklets in 2008 as an attempt to reduce the number of sex offenses committed. However, so far, this has not been achieved.
It is mandatory for convicted sex offenders to wear the electronic tags for designated periods of time after they are released from prison. They are also required not to leave their residential areas without being granted special permission to do so from their probation officers.
Experts say that to increase the effectiveness of electronic anklets, law enforcement authorities should impose harsher penalties on sex offenders who violate the rules. They suggest that the government hire more probation officers to better monitor ex-convicts wearing the devices, while continuing to upgrade the technology to prevent offenders from repeatedly offending.
On July 27, a sex offender surnamed Yeon, 32, was not reprimanded by his probation officer. Yet, it was established that over the past two years, he had repeatedly left his residential district in southern Seoul without authorization.
Yeon was convicted of raping two women in Daegu in 2001 and 2005. When he was released from prison in 2010, he was ordered to wear a locator device for five years. Yeon has been under surveillance by the Seoul Southern Probation Office ever since.
By law, the probation office is required to request a police investigation if a sex offender wearing an anklet leaves home without being granted a permit or permission. However, in Yeon's case, the office did not inform senior authorities despite him violating the rules 16 times.
Some critics also question the anklet's durability, as some sex offenders have easily destroyed the electronic devices.
On Aug. 10, police arrested a convicted sex offender, surnamed Shin, 42, who disabled his electronic monitoring anklet and then sexually assaulted a waitress in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, days later. Shin said it was easy to remove the device from his ankle after banging it repeatedly on a hard surface.
"There are many incidents that make people doubt the usefulness of the electronic anklet worn by sex criminals," said Prof. Lee Yoon-ho at the department of police administration at Dongguk University. "The device shows the location of each convict. However, it cannot monitor what they do in real time. Perhaps, the government can introduce a more updated device that can relay what criminals do in real time."
Lee said that psychologically the anklet helps deter criminals from committing crimes. "However, if they are not reprimanded for breaking the rules, its effectiveness decreases greatly. So, probation officers should strengthen monitoring sex offenders whether they break the devices or leave their residential areas without permission."
Probation officers should refer any violators to the police for investigation at all times, the professor stressed. "Given the shortage of probation officers, the government needs to hire more of them. In addition, the probation office should work closely with the police in monitoring sex criminals once they are released from jail."
