Protecting Our Children

Parents can now breathe a minor sigh of relief, as a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation press release has documented that “every sex offender on state parole in California is now being monitored by GPS technology.” This recent development occurred six months ahead of a proposed schedule, and allows parole agents to know the location of registered sex offenders on their caseloads 24 hours a day. This is a huge accomplishment, stemming from the passage of Proposition 83 by California voters on November 7, 2006, more widely known as “Jessica’s Law.”

When Jessica’s Law was passed, it required that “every paroled sex offender be monitored by GPS.” This group of parolees includes 6,622 active sex offenders paroled in California, all of whom are now equipped with ankle bracelets that transmit their location any time, any place. This huge leap in public safety has catapulted California into the top spot in the nation for using GPS technology to track sex offenders. It is a much-needed advance, as California currently has the highest population of sex offenders in the nation.

Not only do we monitor sex offender locations, California is also required to enforce a 2,000-foot restriction on sex offenders. Parole agents monitor the whereabouts of parolees on their caseloads to ensure they never touch foot near schools, parks, or anywhere children could reasonably expect to congregate. Also, Jessica’s law has the ability to increase sex crime related sentences, for example some sex crimes that victimize children now carry a mandatory life sentence. Jessica’s law even restricts the chance for parole of some sex offenders, as it has increased the number of sex offenders eligible to be civilly committed to mental health departments for treatment rather than being released.