GA: Hundreds of Georgia sex offenders off ankle monitors
A landmark court ruling has led to nearly half of Georgia’s most high-risk sex offenders being released from their ankle monitors over the past year, marking a legal quandary that state lawmakers fell short in addressing during the 2020 legislative session.
State officials tasked with recommending how to monitor sex offenders in Georgia say legislation filed in the 2020 session would address the problem going forward by handing final authority to judges, rather than a state-run review board.
But criminal defense attorneys argue the proposal does not include certain legal avenues for sex offenders who often lack the means to appeal their punishments and who would benefit from more focus on treatment than lifetime ankle monitoring.
So far, 520 of 1,108 people in Georgia classified as “sexually dangerous predators” most at risk for committing future sex crimes have been freed from GPS tracking devices, according to Tracy Alvord, executive director of the state Sexual Offender Registration Review Board.
She expects 17 more sexually dangerous predators will be off ankle monitors by the end of this year, leaving local law enforcement agencies and the state Department of Community Supervision to rely more on reports from concerned citizens to monitor sex offenders in lieu of electronic tracking.
Sexually dangerous predators? The problem I see with that is if any one of them commit an offense, even the least offenders will be judged. I’m sure the nation will be watching. Florida should be so kind. The future of all registrants could be in the actions of these predators
Even if any of them commits an offense, will it be the sort of offense where an ankle monitor would have stopped them? I have always associated those things with flight risks (such as when awaiting trial) and don’t understand the idea behind using them post-conviction.
No. The ankle bracelet won’t stop anyone who WANTS to reoffend. Just like the registry, the residential restrictions, bus stops… Come on, already. If someone wants to reoffend, especially a “dangerous predator”, NOTHING will stop them short of a lobotomy. (I’m not advocation this.) I’m just saying.
I was taken off of probation nearly two years ago. At that time my GPS monitor was removed. My ankle is still numb with no feeling. But let’s face it, it kept me from ‘raping and pillaging’…tongue in cheek.
Here’s my response to this Tribune Ledger News story:
In this story, executive director of the state Sexual Offender Registration Review Board, Tracy Alvord said, “There’s only so much you can do unless someone commits another crime…”
Does anyone else see what’s wrong with that thinking?
Here’s the deal: There should be nothing (read: absolutely nothing) “…you can do unless someone commits another crime…”
Otherwise, we use Thought Police tactics. We start hiring psychic mediums and The Minority Report becomes reality!
In fact, those who have previously committed a sex crime have the lowest rates of recidivism of any ex-criminal. Don’t believe me, read this US federal publication for yourself, and make your own decisions: https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=271086
When we punish people for future crimes that they might commit, we are traveling down a slippery slope!
Hey Captain. Can you expound on your comment?
Thanks
In Virginia I touched my daughter inappropriately after my wife’s death. It was not a forcible event and we both forgave each other. She happened to mention it at school and “Katie, bar the door”. The system jumped in and interviewed other girls I had had contact and all said I had always been appropriate with them…as I had. My offence in Virginia was just for touching my daughter. I was not considered a predator in Virginia. Come to Florida, check into probation and I start being counseled as required. I then got a court date to go in front of a Florida judge. Even with my licensed counselor telling the judge I was not a predator, the judge designated me one anyway. Since then my daughter and I have developed a healthy father-daughter relationship and she has moved to nearby my home in Florida. I was released from probation 11 years early. Yet, Florida still carries me as a predator…which I am not.
I agree. The State’s position seems to be, “We have saved possibly millions of dollars now that we don’t have to monitor these people. And just wait, they will reoffend and then we get them off the streets.” Pathetic. With the money they will save, how about some programs to help registered citizens. Alvord’s thinking is so pathetic.
You do not have to be a predator in the state of Florida to be designated as one.
To true as o well know capt.
Don’t you see sarah that’s the idea . instead of putting them on the sexually dangerous predictors only they want to put them on everybody with a srx offence. Now they take them off and the truly dangerous will use it to they’re advantage get caught and they will use them as the poster children of why we all need them and harder guidelines. And if that plan don’t work the second part that they will have to rely on reports by “concerned citizens ” to help them people who have no law enforcement training or background in law to really know if what someone is doing is breaking the law or not. But we all know how that will go arrest the person based on this info while they “investigate” that’s the scariest part someone goes online finds out your status calls in a BS report you get arrested and held for how ever long it takes them to find something on you ……I mean investigate the allocations. Welcome to the new America
If anyone reads the source, also read the comments from a “person required to register. ” Very good!
GPS-tracked offender is going somewhere that is off limits like a school or has come into contact recently with people they shouldn’t, said the review board’s Alvord.
Ummm… how is a GPS going to let authorities know if you’re in contact with someone you shouldn’t be in contact with? Are these GPS’s now equipped with cameras? This is how misinformation and fear mongering is spread. Unreal.
Those with an agenda that cannot be justified with the truth must fall back on lies to support a system that was established on lies.
Thats what I’m wondering Maestro since we have got the new monitors I have had issues with the battery for it won’t stay charged for the hours I’m allowed out 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. Around 8:30 pm it goes off saying put on charge with the monitoring center calling questioning WHY is my battery low. I talked to my PO he said these new monitors with ALL the new features the battery’s don’t last so take my charger with me everywhere I go. Funny the only new feature any of us have been told about is the ankle band is supposed to vibrate if we get to far from the monitor………kind of funny that my monitor has gone off saying its to far away but yet the ankle band did not vibrate !! So What are all the new features really