SACRAMENTO  (AP) — For the first time, California will make paroled sex offenders take periodic lie detector tests as a way to gauge their behavior patterns and perhaps prevent new sex crimes.

The move came in response to several high-profile cases involving parolees who raped and killed.

State officials said this week that the lie detector tests will help them better gauge which offenders are most dangerous and in need of increased supervision.

Parolees could be asked about everything from whether they are attending 12-step addiction programs to whether they are lingering at playgrounds or having inappropriate contact with children, officials said.

All sex offender parolees also are required to participate in specially designed treatment programs. Previously, only high-risk offenders had to undergo treatment. That has bumped the state’s spending on treatment programs from $8.5 million last year to $18.3 million this fiscal year.