Illinois poised to track sex offenders with GPS

The St.Louis Dispatch reports:

The movements of paroled sex offenders in Illinois will be tracked by global positioning system technology beginning next year.

A measure signed into law this week by Gov. Rod Blagojevich requires these sex offenders to wear devices that record their whereabouts and alert authorities if they go where they're not allowed. It takes effect Jan. 1.

The yearly cost of this program is estimated at $4 million to $7 million, but funding was not included in the state budget passed earlier this year, said Rep. Jim Watson, R-Jacksonville.

It's likely that the money to initially fund the program will come from a mix of federal and state money, and that the program will be paid for in upcoming years through the state budget, according to the governor's office.


Watson, one of the sponsors of the measure, said the GPS devices will help police keep tabs on the parolees, and that it would be useful if a child would go missing.

How long before Big Brother has GPS devices tracking "other" people the state claims are a danger?