The Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole has launched a pilot program with Securus Software to monitor computer usage of sex offenders who are under parole supervision.
The board is testing software that monitors words and phrases, both online and offline, on an offender’s home computer, captures a screen image, creates a log of all websites visited, and saves this information on a central server.
Through Securus, parole agents will be able to log into the secure server from any computer to view screen shots of emails, chat rooms, games and social media sites, review websites that have been accessed and to be informed of programs that have been installed on an offender’s computer.
Currently, offenders are either not allowed computer use or agents must physically go onto the offender’s computer to review Internet usage.
The pilot program will include 20 to 30 sex offenders over a period of six months in the board’s Pittsburgh District Office, says the board.