E-MONITORING: Electronic surveillance in the criminal justice system: projected futures and lived experiences

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 it aims to explore the ‘projected futures’ of electronic surveillance at an international level, focussing 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.

Principal Investigator: Rafaela Granja

Funding period: December 2023 to June 2025

Website: https://www.cecs.uminho.pt/emonitoring