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Technologies of crime, control and change

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Date01 September 2017
Published date01 September 2017
AuthorNicola Carr
DOI10.1177/0264550517723995
Subject MatterEditorial
PRB723995 187..190
Editorial
The Journal of Community and Criminal Justice
Probation Journal
Technologies of crime,
2017, Vol. 64(3) 187–190
ª The Author(s) 2017
control and change
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DOI: 10.1177/0264550517723995
journals.sagepub.com/home/prb
This special issue of the Probation Journal focuses on ‘Technologies of Crime,
Control and Change’. Oftentimes the term ‘technology’ is read as short-hand for
something innovative and new, but it is worth reminding ourselves of the literal
meaning of the term ‘technology’, which refers to the application of scientific
knowledge for practical purposes. Such a reading helps us to recognize that
‘technologies’ have had a long lineage in probation practice. That said, advances
in information technologies in particular in recent years have led to fundamental
changes in our social and professional lives – to our ways of interacting, how we
access information, our connectedness and accessibility, and the distinctions we
make between public and private spheres. Many of the contributions to this special
issue explore the normative underpinnings and effects of these changes on practice.
The Ministry of Justice’s plans for ‘digital justice’ include a promise to deliver more
effective and efficient systems, where citizens’ concerns can be dealt with swiftly
and ‘seamlessly’:
What if data could be shared and accessed across the entire criminal justice system?
What if the system was seamlessly joined up for citizens? And what if we could
reduce inefficiencies and give citizens access to swifter, fairer justice? (Harbott,
2016) 1
The unencumbered traffic of digital data is central to this vision of a seamless
system. This means a move from paper-based practices to one in which all
information is recorded and transmittable digitally. While the ideal of seamless-
ness may be attractive when thinking about the criminal justice system, there are
clear issues with translation into practice, not least concerns regarding...

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