Gathering information about the criminal justice system is becoming easier and more interactive. This article from the Criminal Justice blog looks at how our society is moving towards heavy use of Web 2.0, which includes police departments and departments of corrections.

Web 2.0 isn’t necessarily the development of new technology, but more so the movement towards a much more interactive Web where users can participate. Wikis, like Wikipedia, are examples of Web 2.0 because the public can go in and change information. In fact, this blog is an example of Web 2.0 as well – you can post comments on the site and participate in the conversation.

Now, search bars on the Department of Corrections website aren’t the only way to learn about criminals. The New York Police Department has started a YouTube channel that posts weekly crime statistics. These collaborative methods could be adopted as a way to communicate with parolees, using such technologies as the Sixth Sense.

Glenn E. Martin, who is Vice President of Development and Public Affairs at The Fortune Society in New York City, had some really good ideas.

“To cut down on face-to-face supervision visits, this would be a great way for parolees and probationers to communicate to their supervising officer their location at any given time using, GPS coordinates and tracking, time-stamped pictures, video recorded certification from work supervisor, and other electronic recordings as proof of supervision compliance.

It might also be a good way for jobseekers with criminal records to store recordings of their rap sheets, certificates of program completion, certificates of relief from disability and good conduct, reference letters/videos, etc., so that on job interviews, they have accurate information readily available for interviewers/decision makers.”

These technologies could essentially make it easier to keep track of ex-cons.

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