ABC NEWS Technology Grows to Keep Track of Sex Offenders (2: 25)

[NUKE209]

[NEW WORDS]

  ♧ keep track of : ~의 흔적/자취를 쫓다, 기록을 유지하다

  ♧ sex offender : n. 성범죄자

  ♧ registry : n. 등록, 기재

  ♧ go about : v. (문제, 일 등에) 착수하다, 사귀다

  ♧ enforce : v. 실시/시행하다, 집행하다

  ♧ legislature : n. 입법부, 주 의회

  ♧ legislator : n. 입법자, 법률 제정자

  ♧ convict : v. 유죄를 입증/선고하다

  ♧ permanently : ad. 영구히, 불변으로  = for life

  ♧ ankle : n. 발목

  ♧ bracelet : n. 팔찌, 수갑

  ♧ transmitter : n. 전송기, 발신기

  ♧ demonstration : n. 시험, 시연, 실연, 논증

  ♧ violation : n. 위반, 위배   -v. violate : 위반하다

  ♧ probation : n. 집행유예, 보호관찰

  ♧ GPS : Global Positioning System(전(全)지구 위치 파악 시스템). 

  ♧ mandatory : a. 위임의, 강제의, 의무적인, 필수의

  ♧ molest : v. 괴롭히다, (성적으로) 희롱하다, 장난치다

  ♧ abuse : v. 학대하다, 혹사시키다, 남용/악용/오용하다

  ♧ parole : n. 가석방, 가출옥 허가, 집행유예

  ♧ predator : n. 약탈자, 육식동물, (성) 폭행범

  ♧ tolerate : v. 관대하게 다루다, 묵인/허용하다, 참고 견디다

  ♧ compile : v. 편집하다, 수집하다

  ♧ prevent A from B : A가 B하는 것을 막다, 예방하다

  ♧ ongoing : a. 지속적인, 전진하는, 진행중인

  ♧ myth : n. 근거 없는 사회적 통념, 미신, 신화
 

We're going to take a closer look tonight at tracking sex offenders, so they don't strike again. Every state has some form of sex offender registry - a way to keep track of them after they're released from prison. But how the states go about enforcing it differs greatly. There are about 380,000 registered sex offenders across the nation. It's estimated nearly a quarter of them have fallen off the radar. The Florida legislature today approved a tough new law to try and keep better track. And ABC's Jeffery Kofman joins us live from Miami with more on that. Good evening Jeffery.

  Good evening, Elizabeth. This is what Florida legislators want every convicted sex offenders to wear permanently. An ankle bracelet and a transmitter so that their every movement can be tracked by satellite.

  The technology is now so advanced that it can even warn authorities if an offender is in an area he shouldn't be. In this demonstration, near a school yard.

  "It's what we call an active device. It reports immediately violations that occur back to probation the probation officer."

  Florida's tough new law is about to make this GPS monitoring technology mandatory for every sex offender. Under the new bill, offenders who molest children under 12 will face a minimum 25 years in prison. And anyone who abuses a child will have to wear the ankle monitor for life. This follows the murder of three young Florida girls in just over a year. First Carly Burshal, last month Jessica Lunsford, last week, Sarah Lunde. In each case, the accused murderer was a sex offender who violated parole.

  "My message to those sex offenders out there and those predators is number one : the State of Florida is not going to tolerate you any more..."

  Florida like every other state has spent millions compiling Internet lists of sex offenders. There are more than 29,000 here but they have lost track of more than 1,700. At least, 34 states have begun tracking sex offenders and others on parole using GPS ankle bracelets. But experts warn it is not the whole solution.

  "It may create a false sense of security to the public who believe that if they know where sex offenders are they can somehow prevent tragedies from happening."

  Just knowing where they are does not tell authorities what they are doing. Experts stress that tracking offenders is only part of the answer. If offenders are going to be out in the world, they say they need ongoing treatment.

  "There is a myth that treatment doesn't work. However, research has shown that treatment is effective in reducing re-offence rate."

  The issue is this : there are a limited number of state dollars. While this technology is cheaper than prisons, it does take money away from other options. But that for now is the price that Florida and other states seem willing to pay. Elizabeth?

All right. Jeffery. For more on how sex offenders monitored, you can go to abcnews.com.