Proposed bills aim at tracking sex offenders for life

Some Florida lawmakers are pushing to require convicted sex offenders to wear monitoring devices for the rest of their lives.

Even after the convicted offender completed the probation period, he or she would still have to wear or carry the electronic monitoring device under proposed bills SB 134 and HB 203.

The law would also require convicted offenders to reimburse the Department of Corrections for the cost of using the device.

Some people view the law as a way to better protect children.

“I’m definitely all for it knowing where they are at all times,” said Mike Deston, a father of four kids.

Corine Moore is also a parent, but she is not sure if tracking offenders for the rest of their lives is the right move.

“As a parent, that might make me feel a little safer, but as a person, you know that may not be fair,” Moore said. “The education in me says civil liberties, you know, have these people done their time. Do they really deserve to be tracked kind of like animals?”

If passed, the law would go into effect October 1.