UK jails considering RFID implants for prisoners

Ah -- dead, eerily-prescient, 20th century authors... they just can't stop proving you right, can they? In a decidedly Orwellian turn, British authorities are considering a proposal to implant "machine-readable" RFID tags under the skin of some prison inmates as part of a plan to free up space in the country's overcrowded prisons. Just like the nightmare world described in your favorite cautionary tales, the chips would enable authorities to track the location of implantees using satellite and radio-wave technology. The program would build off of the current ankle-tagging currently in place, and according to a official from the Ministry of Justice who finds the plan double-plus good, "All the options are on the table, and this is one we would like to pursue." Of course, the controversial concept does have its detractors, Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, says that, "If the Home Office doesn't understand why implanting a chip in someone is worse than an ankle bracelet, they don't need a human-rights lawyer; they need a common-sense bypass." Shortly following this statement, however, Shami was taken to an interrogation room and outfitted with a rat-hood, and all record of her existence was erased from state records.

[Via Slashdot]

[Cellenin @ Jan 14th 2008 1:50AM]

Do the crime get tagged. What's the big deal with that?

[skulldriveshaft @ Jan 14th 2008 2:26AM]

What to do if you were wrongly convicted, held in prison awaiting trial, released after serving your time.

tags spliced from different inmates to get out of jail, detached limbs to gain access to privileged areas, the reality of the system would mirror a few recent movies, the least of which would have to be Equilibrium, and for those watching only the box office hits, Minority Report.

[derX @ Jan 14th 2008 2:42AM]

If you're wrongly convicted, you'll be de-tagged and reintegrated into society.

Besides, it's the long established British legal system, what are the chances someone will be wrongly convicted?

...*clears throat*

[BigDaddyM @ Jan 14th 2008 3:26AM]

I think it is funny that people here are using movies as a means to circumvent a concept. Convicts can cut off their foot to remove an ankle bracelet so should be do away with that as well? That is not the issue on how to remove the chips, but if it is ethical to inplant them in the first place. If you do the crime, you have accepted that the conciquences are acceptable, no matter what the outcome is.

What is better, over crowded jails? The extra burden on the tax payers?

If you are wrongly convicted is an issue about our legal system, not the punishment. Now if you are talking the death penalty, the I would at at least conceed to valid point. However, I am assuming that this system is for lesser crimes...
M

[peter M @ Jan 14th 2008 2:05AM]

wouldnt your hardcore ex-con just use their knife to cut it out? or less painfully, delete the info on the chip?

[huggles @ Jan 14th 2008 2:08AM]

I will drink to that! Who's for a glass of Victory Gin?

[Nicholas FitzRoy-Dale @ Jan 14th 2008 2:26AM]

To prevent prisoners from cutting it out they should implant it in the middle of the brain, maybe near the amygdala (responsible for the fear response) to maximise creepy scifi horror potential should anyone try anyway.

[derX @ Jan 14th 2008 2:38AM]

Love that 1984 allusion, comrade.

[B-rad @ Jan 14th 2008 2:08AM]

People would just cut it out. Even if it was placed in a random locations, scanner technology could locate it and it can be cut out. Worthless technology.

[Danger mouse @ Jan 14th 2008 2:14AM]

My foil hat will thwart their feeble attempt at tracking.

[derX @ Jan 14th 2008 2:38AM]

Indeed, unless we plant a chip in that, too.

[nes @ Jan 14th 2008 2:25AM]

i just hope i get a razor this week.

[error2k2 @ Jan 14th 2008 2:45AM]

Ah, good old Room 101, Big Brother was on to something there.

[henry @ Jan 14th 2008 3:02AM]

This is all doublespeak. I charge you with thoughtcrime!

[BananaBoat @ Jan 14th 2008 5:06AM]

It's doublethink, not doublespeak. And doublethink is not a thought crime, it's the idea that someone can simoltaneously know that something is wrong, yet at the same time accept that it is correct (without being aware that you are doing it). Knowing the word doublethink, is an example of doublethink, if you are using doublethink.

Why people think doublespeak came from 1984, I have no idea. Not that I like 1984, but it gets annoying after awhile.

Oh and...if this passes..big party in the ministry of love. Room 101.

[Eldiablo @ Jan 14th 2008 3:19AM]

Mmm I wonder...
First, all our prisoners get tagged so that they can be tracked all the time. Then, it works so well that its decided to expand it to those questioned and then released on bail. Then, just in case, lets expand the system to anyone arrested, even if then released without charge. You'll start getting the general public saying "Well if you've got nothing to hide..." so the Govt will move to implant the tags in everyone. Then, at some point in the future, the NT4A (National Tagging for All agency) will 'lose' a blueray disk in the post with everyone's records on. And because its a universal ID scheme, you're details will be exploited in the banking and social security arena's, causing you to be arrested for various fraud charges, thereby completing the cycle.
I'm getting the hell outta Dodge...

[Eldiablo @ Jan 14th 2008 3:21AM]

Apologies, double post for some reason. I put it down to black choppers and LSD in the water.

[steve @ Jan 14th 2008 11:30AM]

But the thing is, the only ones who've done anything wrong are the ones in jail. You could just as easily say "The government starts giving striped clothes to people who've broken the law, they'll see how much it works, and then they'll start doing it to everybody!" It's a leap of logic that simply doesn't make sense. They're tagging people so that they can be released from jail while still being trackable, and in doing so, give the person more rights than they had before. I don't see the problem with that. Certainly, I would have a problem with them doing it to everyone by force, but that's not what they're doing, and I don't see the point of opposing one in fear of the other.

[Eldiablo @ Jan 14th 2008 3:19AM]

Mmm I wonder...
First, all our prisoners get tagged so that they can be tracked all the time. Then, it works so well that its decided to expand it to those questioned and then released on bail. Then, just in case, lets expand the system to anyone arrested, even if then released without charge. You'll start getting the general public saying "Well if you've got nothing to hide..." so the Govt will move to implant the tags in everyone. Then, at some point in the future, the NT4A (National Tagging for All agency) will 'lose' a blueray disk in the post with everyone's records on. And because its a universal ID scheme, you're details will be exploited in the banking and social security arena's, causing you to be arrested for various fraud charges, thereby completing the cycle.
I'm getting the hell outta Dodge...

[prouted @ Jan 14th 2008 3:41AM]

Welcome to the New World Order !!!

[GrangerFX @ Jan 14th 2008 4:08AM]

Believe me, there are far worse things stuck into prisoners right now than RFID tags.

[LondonConsultant @ Jan 14th 2008 4:40AM]

This proposal is one of the main news stories in UK. Shami Chakrabarti appears in the news regularly - and she seems pretty good at her job...

[Generic @ Jan 14th 2008 4:59AM]

There is a something called "biometrics" which doesn't require sticking something in your body (ouch)!

And for those who will post telling me that RFID will locate an inmate anywhere, well pair biometrics with infrared sensors and you have a tamper-proof system. Can't yet extract your body-heat signature or your face and throw it away and run.

"Face Off" is just a movie...

[pigfister @ Jan 14th 2008 5:02AM]

It's the beginning of fascism!

UK Government wants to expand the right to protest across the country by banning unauthorised protests just as it is ilegal at the moment to protest within 1 kilometre of the Houses of Parliament.

film of this morning's 'repeal socpa' petition at 10 downing street
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389115.html

Brian Haw Parliament square peace protester had a bill introduced into SOCPA (The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act) act to remove him from parliament the government citing anti terror laws but luckily he started his protest before the law was introduced and the courts found him exempt from the bill.
http://www.parliament-square.org.uk/

One World Government? RFID implants just around the corner. The banks own your ass!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBo4E77ZXo&feature=related

[Unregistered @ Jan 14th 2008 5:08AM]

There are already scores of video cams in Britain watching your every movie. This just complements it. :P

[Brian @ Jan 14th 2008 5:41AM]

Violent criminals should certainly be tagged. I see nothing wrong with that.

But implanting a chip in a pot dealer or someone who was stealing copper... that would be over the top.

[Hookey @ Jan 14th 2008 6:26AM]

If this happens, how long before some bright spark starts selling it as a "safety service"? I can see it now, "Protect Your Children with RFID!" then someone else flogs it as a replacement for ATM cards; "Never worry about losing your card again!", and the sheep-like public fall for it.

[bob @ Jan 24th 2008 8:51PM]

i saw something on fox news with a smiley woman saying " yes i have been tagged and had all my children tagged"

[Andrew @ Jan 14th 2008 7:11AM]

"News just in, the data used to track one million RFID implanted prisoners has been lost by Royal Mail and cosequently the Government has no idea where they are"

[poulan @ Jan 14th 2008 8:17AM]

...once the genie is out the bottle there's no putting it back in. Start off by putting these things in prisoners and sooner or later it will be used to get you for the common parking fine. If you think otherwise then you are naive.

[wjousts @ Jan 14th 2008 9:06AM]

Perhaps they should start with a pilot study to demonstrate the technology. Start by tagging the politicians that are supporting this and let the public track them for a while. After all, they've got nothing to hide...right?

[patsy @ Jan 14th 2008 10:19AM]

Oh, I so support that!!! Additionally, create a website that lets the public track these politicians in real time, and you've got yourself a winner.

[entropyman @ Jan 14th 2008 10:11AM]

ummm what about this?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/08/AR2007090800997_pf.html
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/59295.html
http://capitalpress.com/Main.asp?SectionID=94&ArticleID=35165

seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen

[adrian @ Jan 14th 2008 2:33PM]

This is the latest repressive idea along with nationwide CCTV, DNA databasing and ANPR, from a goverment that like's to lecture other countries about their citizen's right's,freedoms and civil liberties abroad. Crime is at it's highest under this goverment, though.

[dosguy @ Jan 15th 2008 12:25AM]

I sure hope nobody tells G.W. Bush about this. We Americans are already required to carry a National ID card effective May 2008, even those of us who didn't do anything wrong. Can chip implantation be far off?

[steve collett @ Jan 15th 2008 8:37AM]

As a resident of the UK, I can categorically say that this situation has been engineered to bring in RFID tags. Blairs' government has created over 3,500 offences in the last decade, that's part of why the prisons are so overcrowded. This, along with propagating politcal correctness, so as to eliminate any form of self discipline, is a recipe for a state of confusion. Their answer is to imprison people for their own protection. By RFID.

[Keith Richard Radford Jr @ Feb 3rd 2008 1:06AM]

What a bunch of maroons, Chip a person he knocks off another & swaps chips. Chip a kid and the few real sick people who for what ever reason can't get by without sex with kids, the 1st thing he/she does is cut our children to remove it. If we live long enough to see the whole plant chipped cancer grows. I got more... bad idea!