SACRAMENTO — California parole officials said yesterday that they have ordered increased monitoring of all sex offenders after recent high-profile lapses, most notably in the case of a young woman who was held captive for 18 years by a convicted rapist.
The new policy requires parole agents to more closely track the movements of offenders using GPS-linked ankle bracelets.
It also requires agents to visit high-risk sex offenders at their homes twice a month, up from one monthly visit.
The policy change came after agents were criticized for not discovering that a convicted sex offender was allegedly keeping Jaycee Dugard hidden at his Contra Costa County home for 18 years.
Correction officials are also reviewing whether they should have revoked the parole of John Albert Gardner III, a convicted sex offender now charged with killing one San Diego County teen and being investigated in the death of another.
“We basically have higher-level tracking not only on high-risk sex offenders but even on low-risk sex offenders,’’ said Gordon Hinkle, spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. “This is basically areas that we felt needed improvement.’’
The policy changes are a response to a report in November from the department’s inspector general that criticized it for missing chances to catch Phillip Garrido, who is now charged with kidnapping and sexual assault in the Dugard case.
