Sex offender law would use GPS
By: Erik Borgsteede, Staff Writer
Issue date: 6/21/07 Section: State & National
Sex offenders in North Carolina might soon be tracked by a Global Positioning System as part of a reform measure being considered by the state legislature.
The bill, which would also increase the search rights of corrections officers, addresses the increasingly difficult task of monitoring North Carolina's more than 10,000 registered sex offenders.
"We're trying to get at what I consider to be the worst elements of our society," said the bill's prime sponsor, Karen Ray, R-Iredell.
"Protecting our children is important."
If passed, the bill would create a program within the Department of Corrections which would enroll sex offenders and monitor their movements with GPS satellites.
Registration would be required either before release from prison or immediately upon sentencing, and the duration of enrollment would depend upon the type of offense.
Repeat offenders and those convicted of aggravated assault would be enrolled in the program for life. If the offense involves the physical, mental or sexual abuse of a minor, a risk assessment would be conducted by the department before the court determines the period of time the offender would be enrolled.
New sentencing and registration laws would go into effect Dec. 1, 2007, and would apply only to those convicted on or after that date.
The measure would also make all offenders subject to warrantless searches by probation officers at reasonable times. These could include searches of the person, premises, vehicle and computer.
Critics of the program claim that it provides a false sense of security because it only supplies information about an offender's whereabouts and does little to actually prevent further sexual assaults. Others have noted that 93 percent of sex crimes against minors are committed by family members or friends, attacking the program as an expensive, flashy measure that fails to address the heart of the problem.
There have been few studies on the effectiveness of GPS-tracking programs, and those that have been conducted have produced conflicting results. The general agreement, however, is that GPS tracking of sex offenders should be used as a complement to other supervision and rehabilitation methods, not as a lone substitute.
At least 23 other states have adopted similar GPS programs in recent years, and most use some variety of ankle bracelet to track offenders.
"At the moment, the talk is about some sort of ankle bracelet," Ray said.
"If new technology is developed in the future that would be more effective. We would use that."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
The bill, which would also increase the search rights of corrections officers, addresses the increasingly difficult task of monitoring North Carolina's more than 10,000 registered sex offenders.
"We're trying to get at what I consider to be the worst elements of our society," said the bill's prime sponsor, Karen Ray, R-Iredell.
"Protecting our children is important."
If passed, the bill would create a program within the Department of Corrections which would enroll sex offenders and monitor their movements with GPS satellites.
Registration would be required either before release from prison or immediately upon sentencing, and the duration of enrollment would depend upon the type of offense.
Repeat offenders and those convicted of aggravated assault would be enrolled in the program for life. If the offense involves the physical, mental or sexual abuse of a minor, a risk assessment would be conducted by the department before the court determines the period of time the offender would be enrolled.
New sentencing and registration laws would go into effect Dec. 1, 2007, and would apply only to those convicted on or after that date.
The measure would also make all offenders subject to warrantless searches by probation officers at reasonable times. These could include searches of the person, premises, vehicle and computer.
Critics of the program claim that it provides a false sense of security because it only supplies information about an offender's whereabouts and does little to actually prevent further sexual assaults. Others have noted that 93 percent of sex crimes against minors are committed by family members or friends, attacking the program as an expensive, flashy measure that fails to address the heart of the problem.
There have been few studies on the effectiveness of GPS-tracking programs, and those that have been conducted have produced conflicting results. The general agreement, however, is that GPS tracking of sex offenders should be used as a complement to other supervision and rehabilitation methods, not as a lone substitute.
At least 23 other states have adopted similar GPS programs in recent years, and most use some variety of ankle bracelet to track offenders.
"At the moment, the talk is about some sort of ankle bracelet," Ray said.
"If new technology is developed in the future that would be more effective. We would use that."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Native_Guardian
posted 6/21/07 @ 1:59 AM EST
hmmmm ankle Bracelets might not be a bad idea then again there is a better idea How about the implantation of Micro chips used by the military or better yet thosr rich - B**ch pet owners who have to know the wherabouts of dear lil Fido at all times on the other hand The Father { Der Fuhrer} showed the world in the 30's and 40's that an undesireable element of society CAN be effectively controlled by simply rounding them up and neatly disposing of them. (Continued…)
w
posted 6/21/07 @ 9:32 AM EST
"when they came for the sex offenders, I said nothing, because I wasn't a sex offender . . . "
Betty Schneider
posted 8/03/07 @ 1:00 AM EST
88% of molesters are not reported. The kids don't tell for various reasons. Some of these offenders would like to seek professional help,
but there's a Catch-22: Therapists must report them, and they face prison plus the registry afterward and a lifetime as social outcasts. (Continued…)
Betty Schneider
posted 8/03/07 @ 1:02 AM EST
88% of molesters are not reported. The kids don't tell for various reasons. Some of these offenders would like to seek professional help,
but there's a Catch-22: Therapists must report them, and they face prison plus the registry afterward and a lifetime as social outcasts. (Continued…)
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