These days, thanks to jail realignment, more and more inmates are being released from custody using GPS monitoring devices.

Some of them have yet to be convicted; others have been sentenced for their crimes.  Recent reports show that in Orange County, two convicted sex offenders who were released from the Orange County Jail on ankle-bracelet monitoring are now facing murder charges.

Both men had not only cut the devices off, they fled to Las Vegas.  When authorities realized what happened they didn't send these men back to jail.  Instead, they got a slap on the wrist, had the bracelets re-attached and were sent along their way.

The law generally prohibits convicted sex offenders from running in the same circles but in this instance, since they were being monitored by two different agencies (who were using two different companies to track their whereabouts), their friendship flew under the radar.

The county has already terminated its contract with one provider after more than a dozen convicted inmates were essentially "off the grid" for a number of days.  One man was prohibited from consuming alcohol as part of the conditions of his release, but he failed more than 80 alcohol tests before the authorities were called.

Some residents are starting to question how safe the GPS program really is, and whether the county is putting everyone at risk by continuing it.   At least one State Senator has called for a full investigation in terms of the recent matter with the two men who are now accused of murder- and he's wanting to know exactly how effective electronic release is.

A recent blog post on the OC Register website notes the Orange County Probation Department is looking into how to make GPS devices work better.  They've gone so far as to launch a program that allows local law enforcement to tap into that system themselves, so they can check out GPS data themselves.

Everyone seems to agree that a software solution is needed.  The blog's author, who is also an elected Orange County Supervisor, says he'll also push for legislation that set standards as to how this type of technology is used.