Active Investment in Sentencing and Extension of Responsibility

The trend in the criminal justice system to increase the responsibility of offenders is illustrated by alternative sanctions, such as electronic monitoring and work penalty. Responsible for carrying out a personal project or joining a workplace, the offender is considered as responsible for exercising the (relative) autonomy given to him/her. However, this kind of project can only be achieved by the involvement of many private actors who contribute directly or indirectly and consciously or unconsciously to the execution of offenders’ sentences. Therefore, responsibility is not transferred only to the offender, but also to his/her family, friends, and colleagues. Based on data collected in Belgium, this paper identifies the indirect effects of this “order of autonomy” on the offender’s environment, which can be considered as a transfer of responsibility.