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 lawenforcement 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/cyberl
aw_1002.html
• http://www.greaterthings.com/News/Chip_I
mplants/
• http://www.tldm.org/News4/MarkoftheBeas
t.htm
Sources
• http://www.ncpa.org/iss/cri/
• http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/