Swinburne students find ‘no evidence’ for electronic monitoring of youth offenders

Work integrated learning has led a group of Swinburne students into the world of policy research and recommendations, with the group spending twelve weeks engaged in a project evaluating the effectiveness of electronic monitoring (EM) systems for youth offenders.  

As part of the unit ‘BA Professional Practice’ in the Bachelor of Arts, students Anandias Sekarmelati Mokoginta, Anthony Victor Papadakis, Angelina Karaula, Hayley Matthews and Nargis Amin investigated the legal and human rights implications of using EM devices with young people involved in the justice system.  

Working alongside the University of Newcastle Justice Clinic, the study evaluated whether EM practices align with legal standards and human rights, informing a comprehensive analysis to develop policy recommendations and potential reforms.

Their findings indicated that there is no substantial evidence to suggest that electronic monitoring devices curb recidivism rates, and that the short- and long-term implications of using these devices are unknown.

“This was surprising considering the funding involved for their implementation,” explains Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science student Anthony. 

“We also found that continuous surveillance can be seen as a breach of personal privacy and may stigmatise and isolate youth, hampering their reintegration into society. 
The use of such devices may undermine youth by pre-emptively treating these individuals as guilty.”

Lecturer in Criminology and Swinburne project lead Dr Joel McGregor says the project originated from shared concerns about the use of EM on young people in Victoria by him and the team at the University of Newcastle Justice Clinic.

“We were inspired to discover what the evidence was behind the use of EM for young people: was it being used because evidence supported it or because it was politically motivated?”

Dr McGregor hopes that with enough evidence gathering, the team might be able to make a submission to the Australian law reform commission. 

“This group of placement students have done an excellent job of collecting preliminary evidence on the use of EM with young people. They have created a comprehensive handover document and project brief that I will be able to provide to a new group of students who can continue this really important discovery work while engaging in real work experience.”

Work integrated learning tackles real world issues 

The five students studying the Bachelor of Arts felt a passion towards criminology and justice and joined the project to contribute to a pressing social issue.

As an international student from Indonesia, Anandias says she felt a duty to raise awareness on intersectionality and how the criminal justice system disproportionately affects minority groups. 

“Often when discussing these issues, sociocultural factors tend to be overlooked. So, I made it a clear goal of mine to acknowledge and address injustices against young people of colour.

“What shocked me the most was the lack of research that justifies how effective EMs would be. You would think such a major decision would’ve been birthed from clear, sizable research. I found that EMs in general have never been successful as an isolated solution. 

“A study in the United States found that family and household dynamics were key to youth rehabilitation. Unfortunately, however, these support systems are a privilege few incarcerated youths have, which reveals a different angle to the problem.”

Angelina is studying the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Psychological Sciences. She says she was surprised by her findings of the government’s push to install electronic monitoring devices on youth offenders who only committed minor crimes such as theft.

“There was a lack of evidence that supported the argument that these devices effectively decrease recidivism rates and provide safety in the community. There was also a grey area surrounding the use of these devices in remote and Aboriginal communities. This is particularly concerning due to the political tensions between police officers and Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders.”

Angelina says that being a part of this project has provided insight into how law reform commences.  

“This project has helped me understand how immensely difficult it is to change any form of legislation or bring about policy reform. It requires a lot of research and writing that can take years.”

The experience of this placement felt realistic as a post-graduation collaborative employment opportunity, according to Hayley.

“As a group we were all on the same page that there are ethical and privacy concerns regarding electronic monitoring, however, when I conducted further research there were many articles and research findings which argued otherwise. Some researchers saw electronic monitoring as an adequate method for keeping youth offenders out of trouble. With these contrasting opinions, I really enjoyed finding my own research and making comparisons and contrasts.”

Hayley says the placement was invaluable in allowing the group members to conduct their own research and findings, before coming back together and sharing collaboratively.

“I believe this project taught me a lot about myself. It taught me further skills on how to work effectively in a group setting which I believe is really valuable to future employment.”