Maryland's Increase in Monitoring Violent and Sex Offenders
In examining possible reasons for why crime has showed a decrease in Maryland, a baltimoresun.com article reflects how the Division of Parole and Probation has paid more attention to known violent and sexual offenders. In this regard, “paying more attention” refers to assigning all sex offenders to specially trained agents, placing those offenders under required and strict probationary terms, and then monitoring them via GPS. In fact, every sex offender is placed on GPS monitoring for 90 days, during which time he or she is subject to harsh curfews and restricted movements.
Violent offenders are placed in the Violence Prevention Initiative and, along with sex offenders, are closely marked for violations. Based on the article, as of January 2010 and since the Parole and Probation has been implementing GPS monitoring of sex offenders beginning in February 2009, 231 sex offenders and 1,300 total offenders have been placed on GPS monitoring.
Anyone who has been convicted of a sex crime in Bethesda or who is facing such charges should be aware that many administrators are sponsoring a bill that would require courts to impose lifetime supervision on certain sex offenders. It is their belief that doing this would guarantee that offenders released into the community are properly monitored and more easily subject to incarceration for violations of strict conditions.
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