Is this the Dawning of the Age of Surveillance? - Monitoring Offenders in New Zealand

Abstract

Over the last ten years, the New Zealand criminal justice system has moved inexorably toward embracing policies and legislation which favour offender surveillance over offender reintegration and rehabilitation. This article discusses the recent growth of surveillance legislation in New Zealand, the impact on the traditional norms and values of the criminal justice system, and the wider implications of becoming a “surveillance society.” It argues that the introduction of surveillance has occurred in the absence of any scientific evidence for its effectiveness, that it has harmed our international human rights record, and impeded effective prisoner reintegration. It concludes by putting a case for a more comprehensive and evidence-based approach to prisoner and offender reintegration.