**UK Authorities Propose “Virtual Prisons” Using Wearable Surveillance Devices**
The UK government is considering implementing “virtual prisons” that would allow prisoners to serve their sentences from home while being monitored by wearable surveillance devices. This proposal is part of a broader effort to reduce prison overcrowding and expand non-custodial sentences.
**Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood on Virtual Prisons**
Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood has expressed optimism about the potential of wearable devices to enable the operation of virtual prisons. She believes that this technology could provide a solution to the problem of prison overcrowding, while also allowing prisoners to serve their sentences in a more humane and cost-effective way.
**The Difference Between House Arrest and Virtual Prisons**
Virtual prisons differ from traditional house arrest in several ways. While house arrest is typically used for minor crimes or as a condition of release for prisoners serving the last six months of their sentence, virtual prisons would allow prisoners to serve longer sentences from home. Virtual prisons would also rely on technology-based supervision, such as GPS trackers, smartphones, and smartwatches.
**Criticism from Civil and Digital Rights Advocates**
Civil and digital rights advocates have criticized the proposal, arguing that it represents a dystopian exercise in surveillance and control. They point out that the plan involves learning from authoritarian surveillance states that spy on their own citizens, and that it could lead to the expansion of surveillance measures to the general population.
**The Spread of Facial Recognition Technology**
The proposal is also part of a broader trend towards the spread of facial recognition technology as a surveillance measure in society. This technology can be used to monitor and track individuals, even if they are not suspected of any crime.
**The Risks of a Surveillance State**
Once a surveillance system is set up and running, it can be easily expanded to monitor and control individuals who are not committing any crime. This raises concerns about the potential for a surveillance state, where the government has the power to monitor and control citizens’ every move.