New bill would give tougher punishments to paroled sex offenders who cut their GPS trackers

4-15-2013 California:

The jump in the number of high-risk sex offenders who are cutting off their GPS ankle trackers is actually bigger than previously thought.

The number has almost doubled since the prison realignment policy change in October 2011, which sends parolees to county jail instead of state prison for certain relatively minor violations.

In the 15 months prior to the policy change, 3,117 warrants were issued for sex offender fugitives; the 15 months following the policy change, nearly 5,000 warrants were issued - a 58 percent increase.

Previously, 30 percent of paroled sex offenders had cut off their monitors.

"If someone absconds, we go after them and 92% of the time, we catch them and we do so within 12 days on average."

But since realignment, being recaptured means only a few days at the local lockup, but if that facility is overcrowded, it could mean no jail time at all.

Critics said that's why more and more parolees are ditching their GPS: the consequences are weak.

"Clearly, they're not cutting them off to have a drink of a cup of coffee unmonitored," Sen. Ted Lieu said. "They're cutting them off because they want opportunities to commit new crimes." ...continued... by Nannette Miranda