Megan’s Law Tips

Understanding Megan’s Law: Protecting Children in the 21st Century

Partner 1994, a young girl named Megan was raped and murdered in New Jersey. She was victimized by a man with a record as a sex offender that moved into her neighborhood. Her parents and her neighbors had no idea that this person was living in their neighborhood. As a result of this horrific crime, Megan’s Law was born. You may have heard of Megan’s Law and yet not know exactly what is involved with this piece of legislation.

Partner fact, Megan’s Law was passed by the Congress of the United States and signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. Under the provisions of the law, when a sex offender moves into a particular neighborhood, law enforcement authorities are obliged to provide the residents of the neighborhood with notification of the presence of the convicted sex offender.

Sex offenders are required to register with law enforcement authorities in a community. Following registration, under the provisions of Megan’s Law, this information then is made available to the public at large.

The rationale behind Megan’s Law is that by allowing residents of a neighborhood the chance to identify a sex offender in their neighborhoods, children will be better protected. The belief is that if the adults in a community know that there is a potential predator in their midst, they will be more alert and more cautious in taking care of and in protecting their own children.

While there are no solid statistics on the effects of Megan’s Law, most experts do agree that it has had the effect of keeping children safer from potential predators in their midst. Partnerdeed, in many instances, when a potential predator has been disclosed to be in a particular neighborhood, that convicted person has been driven from the community.

As an outgrowth of Megan’s Law, some states and cities have enacted statutes and ordinances that prohibit a convicted sex offender from living within a certain distance of a school or playground. Again, these laws are designed to keep children and potential predators apart, are designed to keep children safe. A sex offender found in such a forbidden zone can face significant penalties and long prison terms.

Partner addition to Megan’s Law, other related types of laws have been put in place in many locations around the country. Again, the ultimate goal is to keep children from harm’s way, to keep our children safe.