Tracking Criminal Psychiatric Patients

By Harriette Halepis

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about using GPS tracking systems to keep an eye on wandering Alzheimer’s patients. In fact, numerous Alzheimer’s centers across the world are currently testing this system. Thus far, GPS tracking for these patients has been proven effective – “groundbreaking” in some states.

What if the same technology could be use to track psychiatric patients? Even though psychiatric patients don’t often “wander” the way that Alzheimer’s patients do, there are a large number of psychiatric patients that are also criminal.

Tracking Criminals

Many governments across the world are now considering using GPS tracking systems to keep criminals from becoming repeat offenders. In particular, sex offenders have been targeted as being the one group of criminals that really should be monitored on a consistent basis.

What about the large majority of psychiatric patients that have claimed criminal insanity? What happens when these offenders are released? Is careful monitoring by police enough to keep these criminals from acting out once again? Does time spent inside of a psychiatric facility really help to heal the criminal mind?

By using a GPS tracking system, the criminally insane could be tracked upon release from a psychiatric institution. While it’s important for society to know the whereabouts of convicted sex offenders at all times, it’s also crucial that violent criminal psychiatric patients are also kept track of.

Human Rights Violation?

Is it in violation of basic human rights to track criminals that have been deemed legally insane? Do these offenders deserve a second chance? Is it not enough that they are kept in constant contact with probation officers and psychiatrists?

There’s no doubt about the fact that human rights must be taken into consideration when it comes to tracking any kind of criminal. While some are content to shut the book on criminals, there has been evidence to suggest that some of the criminally insane are truly reformed following time spent within a psychiatric facility.

A New Way of Looking at Criminals

As the debate surrounding tracking criminals, what kind of criminals to track, and whether or not criminals deserve to be tracked continues, it’s hard to ignore the fact that using GPS technology to track criminals may save lives.

There’s no guarantee that criminals may repeat an offense. In fact, there’s no way of lumping all criminals together into one large category that screams “repeat offenders,” – after all, all people are different, right? Then again, there’s no way of knowing which criminals will repeat their actions, and which ones are truly reformed – is it wise of society to take this chance?

Tags: GPS Tracking Systems