Teenager placed under first computer-imposed curfew

A 16-year-old boy has become the first
teenager in Britain to be placed under a computer-imposed curfew to
stop him from re-offending.

The device, which works through
voice-recognition, will mean the boy is under 24-hour
surveillance.

Each morning he will be woken by a
computer-generated telephone call and asked to repeat a series of
random numbers. His voice will be analysed to confirm his
identity.

The boy agreed to be monitored when he
appeared before Nottingham youth court for burglary, assault,
handling of stolen goods and possessing an offensive weapon.

A series of voice-verifier calls will be made
to his home to ensure he is complying with the curfew. He has also
been ordered to attend a training centre where he will be called
during the day.

Failure to answer the calls will mean he is
arrested and brought before the courts.

Nottingham is one of 15 UK cities taking part
in the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme.

A spokesman for the Youth Offending Team in
Nottingham said: “We are taking away some of the civil liberties of
these young offenders, but we have to balance that with the civil
liberties of the communities that these youngsters terrorise.”

He added that the scheme was “the last-chance
saloon”, and will be used for “revolving door offenders”.