Megan's Law (Literature & Language Essay)
During this module, you learned about Megan's Law. To complete this assignment you will need to conduct additional research using scholarly journals only. You must utilize a minimum of (2) two scholarly references in the assignment. Scholarly resources are considered: peer-reviewed journal articles (i.e.: ProQuest), government websites, textbooks and criminal justice publications. Failure to provide appropriate references will result in a large point deduction.
You can access scholarly journals by clicking on the Library Link in the Course Introduction section.
In a 3-4 page (1000 word) essay you will address the following points:
Discuss the history of Megan's Law.
Explain why the law was created?
Explain how Megan became involved with the law?
Describe how has this law helped with child abductions?
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Bohm, R., and Haley, K., (2018). Introduction to Criminal Justice. 9th Edition. McGraw-Hill.
Length/Formatting Instructions
Length 1000 Words
Font Calibri - 11 point font
Program/File Type Submit in Word only
Attachments Should be pasted into the Word document if possible.
Referencing system APA referencing system is necessary in assignments, especially material copied from the Internet.
For examples of correct citations, visit the following links:
http://owl(dot)english(dot)purdue(dot)edu/owl/resource/560/01/
Megan's Law
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Megan's Law
Megan's Law is a federal law that requires the government and other authorities to release relevant information on violent sexual offenders to protect the public (Legal Information Institute, 2020). The law was enacted in 1996. Today, it is included in the sexual offender laws. Megan's Law requires that a sexual offender registers with relevant government entities, including the Attorney General's office and the jurisdiction in which the sexual offender resides. An essential supplement to Megan's Law is the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, passed in 2016 (Legal Information Institute, 2020). This paper explores Megan's Law's history, the reason it was created, how Megan became involved, and how it has helped with child abductions.
Megan's Law first took effect in 1994 (Furbish, 1998). The Correction Department had to register individuals convicted of any of the six most serious sex offenses with the resident state trooper or the local police. This was to be done five days before the individual was released from custody. The registration period was for one year, and failure to register as a crime. Also, registered people were required to inform their local police if they moved. Initially, any registration information was treated as confidential and only shared by law enforcement personnel (Furbish, 1998).
In 1995, Congress amended the law to incorporate an additional crime. Also, Congress expanded the registration period from one to 10 years (Furbish, 1998). In addition to this, registration information became accessible to some government agencies and authorities but was still treated as confidential.
Finally, in 1997, registration information was made public, but only available upon request (Furbish, 1998). In 1998, Congress repealed the law again. The newer and much broader law took effect on October 1 of that year. The expanded version covered additional crimes (prostitution, public indecency, kidnapping, obscene performances with a minor, unlawful restraint, and added sexual assaults) plus an extended registration period for some offenders. Also, law enforcement officers had to verify an offender's address. The law required the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to create a statewide sex offender registry, make the information public, and post it on the internet (Furbish, 1998).
Megan's Law was created after Megan Kanka was murdered in 1994 (GovTrack, 1996). The law was enacted as part of the Jacob Wetterling Act of 1994. This Act only required the registration of sex offenders by law enforcement personnel. Also, before Megan's Law, only a few states required registration. Therefore, legislation was crafted, bringing States in compliance with the Jacob Wetterling Act's registration requirement and the community notification provided in Megan's Law. The new law would later become Megan's laws of each of the United States. Thus, in federal law, Megan's Law is community notification, while in state law, Megan's Law is the registration of sex offenders and community notification (GovTrack, 1996).
States have always sought to remain independent of the federal government. Therefore, through Megan's laws, states decide what information to make available and how it is disseminated (GovTrack, 1996). For instance, some states may choose to use social media to share registration information, while other states may decide to use their official government website. While providing independence to state governments, Megan's Law also enables the federal government to notify local police of any employment or changes in registered individuals' address...