Famous rapist Stewart Wilson, dubbed the Beast of Blenheim, is likely to be among the first paroled offenders to be tracked around the clock by satellite under changes announced by the Government.
After years of trials, the Corrections Department will introduce ankle bracelets with a global positioning system (GPS) for high-risk criminals released into the community.
Corrections Minister Anne Tolley said 11 child sex offenders already released from jail would be the first to be monitored in real time, beginning in August.
If one of the offenders strayed into banned areas, such as schools or parks, Corrections would be alerted.
Prisoners pending release were also expected to be monitored, including Wilson (65), who yesterday pleaded to the Wellington High Court for release after 18 years in jail.
He was convicted in 1996 of 19 offences spanning 25 years, including rape, attempted rape, indecent assault, wilfully ill-treating a child and bestiality.
The Probation Service has applied to have Wilson put on extended supervision for more than a decade. He was expected to be released in September despite the Parole Board's belief he would reoffend.
At present, Corrections is permitted to monitor offenders using any technology is at its disposal.
Mrs Tolley said the GPS locators would be extended to 90 people by the end of the year, including criminals jailed for violence.
The scheme, which cost $750,000 a year, would be expanded to 200 offenders in the community by the end of 2013.
It was part of a larger Government programme in prisons and communities which aimed to reduce reoffending by 25% by 2017.
Labour Party corrections spokesman Charles Chauvel said if the move increased public safety while reducing inmate numbers then he welcomed it.
But he felt it contrasted with the Government's radical proposal to lock up the worst offenders indefinitely.
"[Justice Minister] Judith Collins and [Prime Minister] John Key have made a big issue of locking up people that escape preventive detention.
"But if the technology is sufficient, then maybe it's worth looking to this sort of solution rather than spending $100,000 a year per offender to keep people locked up."
