Megan's Laws were named for a seven-year-old New Jersey girl, Megan Kanka, who was kidnapped, raped and killed in 1994 by a neighbor who had been convicted twice of sex crimes involving children. Her parents, who lived across the street from the offender, knew nothing of the offender's past (Savage, 2002). This type of law requires that the sex offenders register with the state upon their release. Some states require that the person register with the police, and others put the information on the Internet for those who wish to know the whereabouts of previous offenders before buying a house in a particular neighborhood. Offenders are required to notify authorities if they change their address. A second violation of this requirement can bring seven more years in prison (Rashbaum, 2003). All 50 states and the District of Columbia have adopted Megan's Laws, and Great Britain is attempting to copy the law (Lane, 2002).
In 21 states, including Connecticut and Alaska, people can check the state's Web site listing sex offenders by simply logging onto the computer. California and other states make listings available at police stations. State officials also notify communities when especially dangerous offenders reside there (Savage, 2002). These measures came in a wave of state laws targeting sex criminals during the 1990s. Because sex offenders are seen as likely to repeat their crimes, states have been eager to enact measures that go beyond ordinary criminal laws. Research shows that registration alone is relatively ineffective in reducing sex offender recidivism because of low compliance, which ranges from 30 percent to 70 percent (Rashbaum, 2003).
In 2002 two separate challenges arose to the laws, challenges in Alaska and Connecticut. In the Alaska case, two sex offenders argued that the stigma of being listed in the state's Internet registry adds a form of a second punishment to the time they already have served, violati...