Get serious about tracking offenders
Every day there are stories about people charged with child molestation, but no in-depth stories about how those convicted and released are poorly monitored due to the failure of lawmakers to properly fund and staff the Illinois State Police, charged with monitoring and maintaining the Web site listing these offenders.
Hundreds of convicted sex offenders are listed as noncompliant. Why aren't they picked up and put back in prison?
We have the technology to track the exact whereabouts of every cell phone, but no system for tracking the whereabouts of thousands of convicted child molesters, sexual predators, and child killers?
Thousands of inmates are granted early release due to prison overcrowding. Every person sentenced in Illinois is immediately granted 90 days off their sentence upon sentencing, then one day off for every day served for good behavior. We incarcerate parents who don't pay child support and baseball game attendees who spit sunflower seeds, but let murderers and child molesters roam free.
Our legislators need to get serious about sexual criminals by properly funding the monitoring of their whereabouts, instead of just paying lip service toward the goal.
Nancy Schneck
Hanover Park