U.K. to Begin Microchipping Prisoners

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

*Big Brother and The Police State

U.K. to Begin Microchipping Prisoners*

by David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) The British government is developing a plan to track
current and former prisoners by means of microchips implanted under the
skin, drawing intense criticism from probation officers and civil rights
groups.

As a way to reduce prison crowding, many British prisoners are currently
released under electronic monitoring, carried out by means of an ankle
bracelet that transmits signals like those used by mobile phones.

Now the Ministry of Justice is exploring the possibility of injecting
prisoners in the back of the arm with a radio frequency identification
(RFID) chip that contains information about their name, address and
criminal record. Such chips, which contain a built-in antenna, could be
scanned by special readers. The implantation of RFID chips in luggage,
pets and livestock has become increasingly popular in recent years.

In addition to monitoring incarcerated prisoners, the ministry hopes to
use the chips on those who are on probation or other conditional
release. By including a satellite uplink system in the chip, police
would be able to use global positioning system (GPS) technology to track
subjects' exact locations at all times. According to advocates of such a
measure, this could help keep sex offenders away from "forbidden" zones
like schools.

Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of the National Association
of Probation Officers, blasted the measure as degrading to the people
chipped and of no benefit to probation officers.

"Knowing where offenders like pedophiles are does not mean you know what
they are doing," Fletcher said. "Treating people like pieces of meat
does not seem to represent an improvement in the system to me."

Shami Chakrabarti of the civil rights group Liberty had even stronger words:

"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."