Hacker News Reader

Comment by jaredhansen | Hacker News Reader

> (2) It seems like streamlining and increasing the ability of governments to monitor parolees...

>It seems like the founders want to make a positive impact on society, but there's a whole lot of slippery slope and other ethical issues here.

Only on HN is app-based remote monitoring seen as potentially worse than being IN JAIL.

View on HN

When you are in jail or someone you love is in jail the choice to get out with a smartphone app and support is pretty clear. It is interesting feedback about monitoring but when it is you or your family, you want out. The most folks reaching out to us, have families who are trying to help their loved ones.

While I agree that limited release is better than incarceration in many instances, I don't think the GP should be dismissed so quickly. The third point is important. If being put into this system is viewed as not has harsh as being incarcerated, does that change how likely people are to have charges pressed? Does this bypass most of that by being associated with the pre-trial but post-charges phase? If it ends up causing a 20% dorp in pre-trial incarceration but somehow encourages 20% more arrests that have charges applied, is that worthwhile?

I don't know the answer to any of these, but I think it's worth discussing. As such, I've decided to view your dismissal as a compliment. "Only on HN is app-based remote monitoring as a method to reduce jail seen as a complex system with many inputs and outputs that sometimes have unintended consequences and as such it deserves in-depth discussion, especially since it's such an important issue." (not that I think this discussion is only available on HN)

> Only on HN is app-based remote monitoring seen as potentially worse than being IN JAIL.

That's a bit of a strawman - there are other ethical issues at play here. Some people don't have smartphones. Others will have theirs lost/stolen/broken. Do they go back to jail?

Is it a local thing to have incredibly cheap smart devices? I can go a town over in the rural US and get a cheap smartphone for like $30 with a prepaid plan. Granted, I can't imagine it would be an amazing experience to use, but far better than jail.

$30 is a lot for some people, especially those facing jail. Then there's paying for data. The app might not work on the older Android version that's on a $30 device. People with intellectual disabilities may struggle with a mobile phone.

None of these things should wind up determining whether a person goes to jail or not, but that's a risk here.

Seems to me like there's a lot of people lying between "Can't afford $30 phone" and "Can't afford $5,000 bail".

Creating another layer of bureaucracy, even when covered in the veneer of startup tech, can definitely make things worse. Here are some open questions that may show how that's possible:

* What will happen if nefarious actors discover how to hack or game this system? Will you be able to pay the mob to get hacked out of jail?

* On the flip-side, could a nefarious actor put you in the penal system, or at least make it look like you were arrested?

* What protections are there around malfeasance within the company? Parole officers are public employees, but what's the liability within a LLC?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com