For more than 50 years convicted sex offenders are required to register in a governmental register until the end of their life. Information on the whereabouts of these sex offenders was not available to the public until the implementation of the Child Molester Identification Line in July 1995. The information available was further expanded by California’s Megan’s Law in 1996. But until currently access was only available through phone. Since December 2004 the database is accessible via the internet at http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov.
The Californian register currently hosts data of more than 63,000 persons. An investigation by Associated Press in 2003 showed that 33,000 registered sex offenders didn’t keep their registration current. In 2004 the number was still 22,000 offenders.
With the new database everybody not only can search state-wide for registered offenders, but also tip the authorities about the whereabouts of them. Information accessible include full name, date of birth, photograph, location, scars, colour of eyes and hair, height as well as certain offences. By enabling citizens to search the database (and becoming aware of sexual offenders) the law enforcement authorities hope to locate and identify out-of-compliance sex offenders.
While the wish of parents to know about convicted sex offenders is understandable, the question remains if such a database causes more harm than good. Does it create constant fear if an offender is “located” in the vicinity (and what is vicinity in a country where suburbs sprawl over 20 miles)? Does it prevent offenders that served their term to live a normal citizen’s life (as the democratic ideal of not guilty until proven & forgiven after serving a sentence would suggest)? There are no easy answers to these questions.
The idea of having a public database with offenders at hand leaves me with a feeling of unease. Do I really want to know who’s living around? And if I know there’s an offender living, say 5 miles away at address X, what then? If I had children, would I warn them? Warn them by showing them the offender’s photograph? But then, most sexual offences happen inside the boundaries of family or friendship. I couldn’t lock my children away all the time, nor could I be with them. So does this information provide me with more things to do? I frankly don’t know. But then, even while there is no law requesting other criminals to register, wouldn’t such law be as “logical” as Megan’s law? There are drug dealers selling drugs to children. Gangs waging war against each other (well not really that much in San Diego)… organized crime, conmen…
It is not that criminal records of persons aren’t accessible in the United States. But it usually costs money and I need a idea who I want information about. There’s no convenient and free solution like the Megan’s Law web site.
In an ideal world everybody could access such information and assess potential risks, without becoming prejudiced or living in constant (well-founded ?) fear. But I wouldn’t be able to act the same when facing a felon that has served his sentence and I know about his/her past. This is human behaviour and it wouldn’t make it easier for a felon to become a law abiding citizen.
