‘E-MONITORING: Electronic surveillance in the criminal justice system: projected futures and lived experiences’ is one of the most recent projects taking place at CECS. The research, coordinated by Rafaela Granja, is the result of FCT’s Restart programme.
In this first edition of the FCT programme, 143 applications were assessed and only 31 projects were approved for funding. In an interview, Rafaela Granja explains the aims of this research, as well as the expected social impacts.
What is the aim of this project and what is its outline?
Electronic surveillance has grown in scale, scope and breadth in several Western countries in recent decades. It is a highly versatile technology, since it can be applied at all stages of involvement with the criminal justice system, namely as preventive detention, as a condition for the suspension or execution of a prison sentence and as a probation measure. Electronic surveillance can also be used to protect victims.
The (alleged) benefits of electronic surveillance are widely promoted by political and media discourses that emphasise the potential reduction of prison overcrowding and associated costs, the maintenance of social ties and the reduction of recidivism.
The E-MONITORING project aims to critically analyse the use of electronic surveillance in the criminal justice system through two sub-projects.
In the first sub-project we intend to explore the ‘projected futures’ of electronic surveillance at an international level, focusing on the technologies that are being tested, developed and implemented in different jurisdictions in Europe and their social, cultural, regulatory and political implications. Most of the academic output on electronic surveillance tends to centre on how this technology uses radio frequency – which monitors a person’s presence in a given location – and GPS – which tracks the mobility of suspects/convicts (and victims). However, there are currently other possibilities that could eventually determine the future direction of electronic surveillance, such as its use in conjunction with smartphones, facial recognition systems and artificial intelligence.
The second sub-project focuses on Portugal as a case study. The use of electronic surveillance in Portugal has expanded significantly in recent years. However, more than 20 years after its implementation in the national context, there is still a lack of studies exploring the representations and experiences of the people being monitored and the professionals involved. To fill this gap, the project aims to investigate how individuals under electronic surveillance measures interpret their experience, manage their lives and (re)construct subjectivities and identities. At the same time, it will analyse how professionals perceive their role and face the challenges associated with implementing and managing the system.
What is the funding and how long will it last?
The project is funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology under the Restart Programme.
The project began at the end of December 2023 and will run for 18 months.
What distinguishes this funding?
FCT’s Restart programme aims to promote gender equality and opportunities by competitively funding individual research projects carried out by researchers who have recently taken parental leave, as was the case with me.
What social impact is expected from this project?
The social impacts of this project are relevant and innovative in two ways. On the one hand, because it will make it possible to understand and analyse what is currently being discussed, tested and implemented at international level for the monitoring of people with some kind of involvement with the criminal justice system. On the other hand, because it will be the first empirically based study on electronic surveillance in Portugal, thus allowing us to critically explore a technology that is increasingly relevant but is little known by society and whose public and political discussion is practically non-existent.
How does the project relate to the objectives of the CECS?
This project is perfectly aligned with the objectives of CECS in that it aims to make a concrete contribution to social and cultural development; to produce research results that encourage and contribute fully to the development of sustainable, peaceful and inclusive societies, promoting access to justice for all; to strengthen scientific publishing and to encourage and support young researchers at various stages of their careers.
In terms of employability (grants, for example), what is planned for this project?
This project has the collaboration of two research fellows: Andreia Pimentel and Bárbara Seco de Barros.
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