(Columbia) March 24, 2005 - An ankle bracelet and black box with satellite technology represent law enforcement's new strategy to monitor the whereabouts of those convicted of violence against women, and lawmakers also want to use the bracelets to track sexual offenders.

Right now, 28 men are wearing the bracelets in South Carolina. It's part of a test program for people convicted of crimes against women.

Scott Norton is part of the Department of Parole implementing the bracelets, "It can track the movement of that offender wherever they may go in the US."

It can even tell agents how fast a person is moving along a particular street, and whether or not they should be there. Scott says it's helpful for officers, "For a drug abuser, if he or she was going to a high-crime, high-drug area, we'd be able to identify that."

The bracelet relays the information quickly, "It will immediately make a call to that computer and then the computer immediately notifies us."

Now lawmakers want to expand this technology and require every sex offender on probation to wear one. The cost would amount to about $10 million per year for almost 1,900 people.

Scott has figured out the cost, "The cost factor, both the equipment and the cost, $10 a day. It makes it something you really have to look at being able to afford it."

The Department of Probation, Parole and Pardons would like to see it happen.

Scott says it would make law enforcement's job easier, "Ultimately without electronic tracking, we are dependent upon how often we can investigate, how much we can learn from the offender and his family."

Scott's opinion on the bracelets is mixed, "I don't think it's the total answer, but it's a strategy that would be important for sex offenders."

Because although the satelite system won't prevent the violations from happening, law enforcement hopes it will help them get to a hot zone before the offender commits another crime.

Reported by Heather Brown

Posted 5:20pm by Chantelle Janelle