I'll never understand why every state doesn't have something like this..

 

 

HARRISBURG — The state police unveiled a Web site Monday containing the names, photographs and other details about 6,981 convicted sex offenders in Pennsylvania, information made public by a recent amendment to Megan’s Law.

 

Previously, only the names of about 60 sexually violent predators — those considered likely to re-offend — were made public. Officials predicted heavy traffic could slow the site in the coming days as people searched for offenders living near them.

 

‘‘Knowing whether a person in your community is a registered sex offender could help you protect yourself and your family members,’’ said state police Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller, saying the information provided ‘‘situational awareness for families.’’

 

In addition to names and photos, the site also lists the cities and counties where offenders live, the year they were born, their crimes and year of conviction, the municipalities where they work and if they attend or are employed by a post-high-school educational institution.

 

Street addresses are listed only for sexually violent predators.

The Web site — http://www.pameganslaw.state.pa.us/ — permits searches by first or last name or alias, and geographically by county, city or ZIP code.

Sorry to thread hijack here, but when I read the title at first glance when skimming through forum thread titles I thought it said something along the lines of Sox4lifePA being a listed sex offender online. That is all.

Indiana has the worst list i've ever seen. Most don't even have pictures or the crime they commited... http://www.indianasheriffs.org/default.asp

 

Illinois's isn't so bad... http://www.isp.state.il.us/sor/frames.htm

If you're caught peeing against a tree in Michigan and you are arrested, you have to register as a sex offender.

Texas has a good one also, https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/soSearch/soSearch.cfm

Again, I am so sick of the lack of compromise on these things.

Is it necc to know that sex offenders live in your hood? Yes.

This can be obtained by a geographical plot giving a general location.

Is it necc to be able to call your local police & get a list of those living in your hood? Yes. Provided you can show proof of residency in that hood you should be able to obtain such a list.

 

But is it necc to put on public display for the whole world every person who has have been labeled a sex offender in the USA? No. There is no excuse for this scarlet letter attitude. As some of you have indicated the statute for what defines an SO varies from state to state. Yet that distinction is going to be easily lost in a public worldly display.

 

According to Michigan 1000's of Cub fans are sex offenders.

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Jan 25, 2005 -> 07:56 PM)

Again, I am so sick of the lack of compromise on these things.

Is it necc to know that sex offenders live in your hood?  Yes.

This can be obtained by a geographical plot giving a general location.

Is it necc to be able to call your local police & get a list of those living in your hood?  Yes.  Provided you can show proof of residency in that hood you should be able to obtain such a list.

 

But is it necc to put on public display for the whole world every person who has have been labeled a sex offender in the USA?  No.  There is no excuse for this scarlet letter attitude.  As some of you have indicated the statute for what defines an SO varies from state to state.  Yet that distinction is going to be easily lost in a public worldly display. 

 

According to Michigan 1000's of Cub fans are sex offenders.

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I like being able to look up all the Sex Offenders in my town. Gives me a change to cross the street when I see them walking on the other side of it.

I like being able to look up all the Sex Offenders in my town. Gives me a change to cross the street when I see them walking on the other side of it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I do not have a problem with you doing that, but you should have to provide proof of residency to do so. The same proof of residency that is required to vote in a precinct or district should be sufficient.

I do not have a problem with you doing that, but you should have to provide proof of residency to do so. The same proof of residency that is required to vote in a precinct or district should be sufficient.

What if you are coming in from out of town or something? Why shouldn't you be allowed to see the list?

What if you are coming in from out of town or something? Why shouldn't you be allowed to see the list?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have to call it quits because this is consuming too much of my time.

You have to weigh the needs of a person coming out of town to have access to that information vs the rights of said persons privacy. You can not meet such a need without providing a global public display. I do not feel that need is strong enough to usurp the persons privacy rights.

 

Especially when they can be labeled a sex offender for pissing on a lawn or a tree.

If we're going to have sex offender lists like this, shouldn't we have murderer, armed robber, assault lists too?

Yep, here ya go Crimson

 

http://www.bop.gov/inmate.html

I kinda agree with Juggernaut on this one.

I worked with a registered Sex offender for the past 5 years. We found out when one of our buddies recieved a notcie from the Sheriff (His mom runs a baby sitting service at their house) of all the registerd Sex offenders and convicted murders living in the area, and his name and address was on there.

But is it necc to put on public display for the whole world every person who has have been labeled a sex offender in the USA?  No.  There is no excuse for this scarlet letter attitude.  As some of you have indicated the statute for what defines an SO varies from state to state.  Yet that distinction is going to be easily lost in a public worldly display. 

I'm pretty much a bleeding heart on most issues, but not this. You commit a sex crime people have a right to know who you are and what you look like. Heck, that should go for any violent crime. Post it on the web, on a jumbo-tron, whatever. A survivor has to live with it for the rest of his/her life--and that's about a million times worse than having your picture posted on a website 95% of the general pop won't look at. If it keeps one person away from the perp it's worth it.

Again, I am so sick of the lack of compromise on these things.

 

Is it necc to put on public display for the whole world every person who has have been labeled a sex offender in the USA?  No.  There is no excuse for this scarlet letter attitude.  As some of you have indicated the statute for what defines an SO varies from state to state.  Yet that distinction is going to be easily lost in a public worldly display. 

 

God damn, man. :headshake

 

The only people who have a problem with sex offenders being put on display are the sex offenders themselves, and a select few assholes who like to go around and argue just for the sake of arguing.

I'm pretty much a bleeding heart on most issues, but not this. You commit a sex crime people have a right to know who you are and what you look like. Heck, that should go for any violent crime. Post it on the web, on a jumbo-tron, whatever. A survivor has to live with it for the rest of his/her life--and that's about a million times worse than having your picture posted on a website 95% of the general pop won't look at. If it keeps one person away from the perp it's worth it.

 

What it does the best is prevent the person from keeping a decent job. A former neighbor of my parents was fired from a job he held for 8 years when someone saw his face on a web site. He went from a nice career and a house in Barrington, to not being able to keep a job, if he can get one, for more than 6 months. He also hasn't been able to continue the restitution payments the court ordered paid to his victim. I am not defending what he did, perhaps wrecking these people's lives permanently is a deterrent.

 

What we are also doing is tossing in the towel and saying we are releasing someone who is still a threat to society. My question is, why not increase the sentences for these types of crimes? If they are still a problem, why are they on the street? If they are no longer a threat, why post their names?

 

Hands up, who looked for the women on the lists and wondered WTF is their story?

Edited January 26, 200521 yr by Texsox

God damn, man. :headshake

 

The only people who have a problem with sex offenders being put on display are the sex offenders themselves, and a select few assholes who like to go around and argue just for the sake of arguing.

 

 

 

If we're going to have sex offender lists like this, shouldn't we have murderer, armed robber, assault lists too?

 

It's partially the rehabilitation angle. Many experts will line up and say that sex is a basic instinct and no amount of therapy, or time in prison, is going to alter their sexual blueprint. Statistically, research has shown that a murderer is less likely to commit a new crime than a sex offender.

 

Which circles back to my question, if they are still a threat, why do we let them out? And if they are believed to not be a threat, why publish their names for ever?

Statistically, research has shown that a murderer is less likely to commit a new crime than a sex offender.

Not to sound like I'm disagreeing with you because that sounds like it makes sense. However, statistically, wouldn't a murderer be in jail longer anyway so they would have less time to commit another crime?