By Alabama Public Radio
Decatur, AL – Governor Bob Riley spoke Thursday in Decatur and said the new law dramatically improves protection of Alabama's children from sexual predators. The law, which is considered to be one of the toughest in the nation, requires the most serious child sex offenders -- felons whose crime involved a child under 12 -- to serve a minimum of 20 years and then be required to wear the global tracking devices for another period of years. That means the first child sex offenders convicted under the law would not be wearing the G-P-S ankle devices until 2025. Another provision requires sex offenders to undergo treatment before their release from prison. And law enforcement and prosecutors would be entitled to information about juveniles and youthful offenders that they need to enforce the Community Notification Act.