A new Illinois law that goes into effect January first will make it easier for authorities to track the state’s most serious sex offenders.

The new law forces some sexual predators out on parole to wear Global Positioning System devices.

They’ll help parole officers keep constant track of when and where the offenders go.

Derek Schnapp with the Department of Corrections says the GPS devices are an upgrade.

“It’s kind of what we do now with our devices,” Schnapp says. “I mean, obviously there are devices now. This is just more of a high tech, more up-to-the-second, exact location-type thing.”

Schnapp says the new devices will cost the state about three dollars more per day than the existing bracelets.

He also says there are about 800 sexual predators on parole in the state, but only those who are convicted of harsher crimes will wear the GPS devices.

And they will only affect those who are convicted after the start of the new year.