Michelle-Ann Letman, Staff Reporter

Low- to medium-risk offenders could soon find themselves fitted with a tracking device monitoring their every move.

The Department of Correctional Services is currently running a pilot project to determine the feasibility of using such a tracking device to monitor offenders who are on conditional release from prison.

The pilot is jointly funded by the Government of Jamaica and Dilieu, a United States-based technology company.

Dilieu has provided US$150,000 (J$11.1 million) in technical support and training. It has conducted training sessions for 45 people - correctional officers, probation aftercare officers, regional directors and two Jamaica Consta-bulary Force members from the detention and courts division. The sessions which lasted for four days, ended Friday afternoon.

Commissioner of Corrections, Major Richard Reese, told The Gleaner on Friday at the launch of Correctional Services Week, that after the pilot project an evaluation will be done, the necessary recommen-dations made and a decision taken as to whether the system will be implemented.

Important piece

"I feel it is an important piece of technology, which could aid the country's criminal justice system," Reese said.

The tracking device, which is monitored electronically via the global positioning system (GPS), if imple-mented, would be able to alert correctional officers whenever an offender is out of zone or without the device, explained Sonya Williams, one of two trainers from Dilieu.

List of activities for Correctional Services Week

October 24-26- Art exhibition at the Revolution Gallery

October 26- Church service at the Power of Faith Ministries, Portmore, St Catherine

October 28- Awards dinner at the Hilton hotel

October 29- Exposition/ Trade Fair- Devon House Heritage Site

October 30- Debate: Moot- "Be it resolved that parents are totally responsible for the outcome of their children- Devon House Heritage Site.