From Behavioral Psychology to Social Control

discourses and possibilities of using electronic monitoring as a prerequisite for the humanization of punishment in Brazil

Abstract

Electronic monitoring emerged in the United States in 1969, originating from behavioral psychology research as a potential therapeutic intervention. Consolidated in the 1980s as a form of social control, it fueled the growth of surveillance industries and expanded globally. In Europe, political and cultural adaptations legitimized its use as an alternative to imprisonment and as a tool for monitoring parole. While lower costs and supposed greater effectiveness have been highlighted, they underscore the questionable potential for humanizing punishment compared to traditional prisons. In Brazil, Federal Laws nº 12,258/2010 and nº 12,403/2011 legitimized electronic monitoring with the promise of reducing over-incarceration and humanizing penalties. However, data from the National Secretariat of Penal Policies (2016–2024) reveal that, although its use has significantly increased, it has neither reduced the prison population nor addressed issues such as stigma and social exclusion. This article examines the impacts of this technology in Brazil from the perspective of sociological and criminological theories, emphasizing its contribution to the expansion of punitive and surveillance networks, with no significant effects on alleviating over-incarceration or improving Brazil’s struggling penal system.