Criminal Investigation: Implanting Chips to Track Ex-Felons

William Nevin Shane Bart

Problem• After prisoners serve prison sentences,

they often repeat violent and harmful crimes after being released.

• Examining a person’s previous actions is the best way to form a solution to prevent future actions.

One Solution• Do nothing, hoping that a lesson was

learned in prison.• Problem

– The majority of criminals repeat crimes, even after serving time.

A Second Solution• After being released from prison, ex-felons

could be followed 24/7 by an officer (similar to a parole officer) for a predetermined amount of time.

• Problem– The cost would be overwhelming.– The ability to stay with someone 24/7 is

virtually impossible.

A Third Solution• Have the ex-felon report to an officer every

hour.• Problem

– This is unlikely to prevent a repeated crime.– Hard to keep up with if lines are busy or

network down. – Difficult to verify whether ex-criminal truthfully

explains lack of communication.

Our Solution• Implant a GPS chip under the skin of the

ex-felon.• Form a national database containing the

information of all chip carriers.• Track by satellite using GPS

The Chip• Microchip that would be implanted in

upper portion of the arm. • Virtually undetectable and indestructible.• Very little discomfort.• Extremely difficult to remove.

The Chip• Applied Digital Solutions, a technology

development company, has developed a prototype of a GPS implant for humans

• The first version of the “personal location device”, or PLD, introduced in 2003, was about the size of a pacemaker (2.5 inches in diameter, and .5 inches in depth).

• Since the introduction of the first chip, it’s size has been reduced by more than 50%.

• Once inserted, the device will be tracked by satellite, and the individual’s location, movements, and vital signs can be stored in a database.

• The information will be sent from the GPS satellites to the database wirelessly through the internet.

Who will carry the chip?• Any person who has been convicted of a

violent crime, rape/sexual assault, and/or murder. Convicts will still serve their sentence in prison.

• The degree of the crime and length of prison sentence will determine the amount of time for which the ex-felon is tracked.

• Ex-felons could be tracked for a period of time ranging from a month to their entire lifetime.

Tracking• On a monitor in their cars, law

enforcement officers would have access to the positions of every tracked ex-felon.

• There would be local stations, as well as a federal station that would track the felons as well.

The Database

• The database would contain personal data of the ex-criminal as well as the criminal history.

• It would also contain the exact location of the ex-felon at all times throughout the tracking period.

• Tracking periods would be one day intervals and backed up monthly to prevent excessive storage buildup.

Database

• Create format so the positions during the tracking period can fit in a small size file when backed up

• Create storage facilities• Build tracking station within major police

stations• Federal station in classified location for the

national database where states would upload data and download criminal info when neded

Additional Technology• Along with the database, a program would

be written to direct law enforcement officers through areas highly concentrated in chip carriers.

• If a convicted bank robber was spending a lot of time around a bank, the police with jurisdiction for the district would be warned, as well as the bank.

Chip Removal• Special polyethylene sheath would help the skin

bond to the chip, holding it in place.• This makes it difficult and extremely painful for

the ex-felon to remove the chip. • At the end of the tracking period, the chip would

expire, and the ex-felon would have the option of having the chip painlessly removed.

• With or without removal, the ex-felon will no longer be tacked.

The Debate• Fourth Amendment

– The right of the people to be secure In their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probably cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things being seized.

• Ex-felons can already be stripped of the right to vote, the most basic right in a democracy.

• They also can be placed under stringent probation conditions (including house arrest), and sometimes are even required to wear an ankle bracelet for monitoring purposes.

Costs• In Mexico, Attorney General Rafael Macedo de

la Concha and 160 of his employees were implanted with the chips.

• Obviously, the chips were not meant to serve the same purpose, but the cost was the same as it would be for implanting ex-felons.– The chips were used to grant access to restricted

areas.• Chips were $150 a piece

Costs Continued• Would come out of tax payers’ money.• Cost does not include the cost of the law-

enforcement vehicle systems, or the cost of local and federal stations

• Like the costs of other technologies, this cost would reduce with time.

Additional Problems• It would not be too difficult for people other

than law enforcement officers to track the locations of the ex-felons.

• Poor weather can lead to poor satellite reception.

Questions• Could the government mandate these

chips, or do constitutional laws require that felons have the option to reject?

• To what extent does implanting these chips violate privacy?

Sources• http://www.slate.com/id/2109477/• http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/

article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=27917• http://practice.findlaw.com/archives/

cyberlaw_1002.html• http://www.greaterthings.com/News/

Chip_Implants/• http://www.tldm.org/News4/

MarkoftheBeast.htm

Sources

• http://www.ncpa.org/iss/cri/• http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/