Results: Megan's Law
Published on 10/03/2015
QUESTIONS
GO to COMMENTS
Comments
1.
1.
Megan's Law is the name of a federal law passed in 1996 and subsequent state laws that require police to maintain a list of sexual offenders on a permanent list and to make that information available to the public. Have you ever searched one of these lists in your community? Yes
29%
442 votes
No
61%
938 votes
Not Applicable
11%
164 votes
2.
2.
If you were to discover that someone in your neighborhood was on the list, what action(s) would you consider taking? I would confront them.
3%
52 votes
Try to make their life miserable hoping they move out.
3%
39 votes
Consider moving to a new neighborhood.
8%
124 votes
Take vigilante action, justice must be done.
3%
54 votes
Be wary, but not do anything directly.
60%
925 votes
Treat them like any other neighbor, they served their time.
13%
200 votes
Other (please specify)
2%
38 votes
Not Applicable
20%
315 votes
| Other Answers | Percentage | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.70% | 10 | |
| inform all the people in the area of his criminal past. | 0.07% | 1 |
| warn my children to stay away from them | 0.07% | 1 |
| not sure | 0.07% | 1 |
| make sure schools in the area were made aware, sports included | 0.07% | 1 |
| i would need more information about his record to determine what i would do | 0.07% | 1 |
| be careful around them and their property and advise my immediate family to do so also | 0.07% | 1 |
| contact sheriff or police | 0.07% | 1 |
| figure out what their crime was, be wary if it was bad, treat them normally if it was something like public urination when drunk and 18 years old | 0.07% | 1 |
| make sure everyone else in the neighbourhood knows about them | 0.07% | 1 |
| i would also take extra precautionary measures | 0.07% | 1 |
| meet with other neighbours to keep a watch | 0.07% | 1 |
| live and let live and expect them to change | 0.07% | 1 |
| there's plenty of those in neighborhoods i've lived in locally. what can you do as a renter? not a whole lot if there's nowhere to go. | 0.07% | 1 |
| the law is flawed and some people are being unjustly named | 0.07% | 1 |
| cold shoulder them | 0.07% | 1 |
| i would tell my kids first and then let as many people know as possible of who this person is and what they have done!!! | 0.07% | 1 |
| tell the neighbours; we deserve to know. | 0.07% | 1 |
| avoid them | 0.07% | 1 |
| keep an eye on them and make the police aware. | 0.07% | 1 |
| alert everyone i know | 0.07% | 1 |
| inform my kids and other parents; be careful | 0.07% | 1 |
| point out the house, their car, and what they look like to me kids and tell them to avoid contact in any way | 0.07% | 1 |
| inform my family | 0.07% | 1 |
| tell other parents in the neighborhood. | 0.07% | 1 |
| make everyone aware | 0.07% | 1 |
| make sure neighbors where aware | 0.07% | 1 |
| get the list , circle his name , give it to all the neighbors | 0.07% | 1 |
| report them to police | 0.07% | 1 |
3.
3.
Each state has their own requirements for what violations result in being on the list, they range from violent rape and molestation to public urination, what are your thoughts on who should be on the list? I am fine with the current law.
41%
633 votes
Only violent sexual offenders.
30%
469 votes
There shouldn't be a list at all.
4%
62 votes
N.A
23%
350 votes
Other (please specify)
2%
30 votes
| Other Answers | Percentage | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.45% | 7 | |
| not sure | 0.13% | 2 |
| leave the urinators off of the list | 0.06% | 1 |
| the list in new york state only list offenders | 0.06% | 1 |
| not only violent sexual offenders but violent abusive offenders, violent animal abusers .....in fact any person that has committed any violent crime. | 0.06% | 1 |
| i believe there should be a list but i also believe there should be different type of lists. like violent sex offenders and child molesters. but at the same time someone who peed in public or statutory (16+) should be in a different list. | 0.06% | 1 |
| anything sexually related should be on the list, public urination isn't a sexual act | 0.06% | 1 |
| a list but not public | 0.06% | 1 |
| unsure | 0.06% | 1 |
| it should be a case by case basis according to severity | 0.06% | 1 |
| mi,or things like public urination should not be on the list | 0.06% | 1 |
| public urination doesn't make someone a sex offender. it just makes them gross | 0.06% | 1 |
| have a grading system of how serious the crime was. | 0.06% | 1 |
| offense should be named | 0.06% | 1 |
| i am not sure | 0.06% | 1 |
| anything that has to do with molestation to rape | 0.06% | 1 |
| only violent sex offenders and pedophiles should be on that list. public urination is ridiculous, more important things to focus on. | 0.06% | 1 |
| only sexual offenders, public urination isn't a sexual offense. | 0.06% | 1 |
| people's lives can be needlessly ruined by the stigma and not all deserve to be on this list | 0.06% | 1 |
| the list should be refined to remove minor offenses such as public urination. | 0.06% | 1 |
| only sexual offenders, not necessary to be violent. | 0.06% | 1 |
| take public urination out, the rest of the law is ok | 0.06% | 1 |
| not people who simply needed to drain the main vein, geez | 0.06% | 1 |
4.
4.
Critics of the law claim that it has failed to reduce sexual offenses, and may even increase them by making it impossible for anyone on the list to live a normal life. Some municipalities have actually banned people on the list from living in areas and it is common for people on the list to be denied employment, get harrassed by neighbors and in some cases tracked down and physically harmed using the list. What are your thoughts? If it protects one child, it is worth it.
37%
567 votes
There is a better way, throw the whole thing out.
4%
57 votes
I see the problems, but think they could be reduced or solved with modifications.
24%
376 votes
Law enforcement should have a list and access granted for certain employers, such as schools, but the general publuc shouldn't have access.
12%
190 votes
N.A
22%
342 votes
Other (please specify)
1%
12 votes
| Other Answers | Percentage | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| the list should be available online and to the public | 0.06% | 1 |
| im not god let god be the judge and the law of the land | 0.06% | 1 |
| it is fine as it is | 0.06% | 1 |
| people who commint these kind of crimes should not be able to live a normal life | 0.06% | 1 |
| 0.06% | 1 | |
| i know someone who used to be on the list although he did nothing wrong, so it's a touchy situation. | 0.06% | 1 |
| i'm not sure, but i certainly don't think it's a good set up right now | 0.06% | 1 |
| locked up for 1000 years. | 0.06% | 1 |
| don't know why should lead a "normal" life after the've ruined someone else's | 0.06% | 1 |
| i know offenders who have served their time need to have a chance at employment, but the public also has a right to know. many of them do commit new crimes. | 0.06% | 1 |
| they all should be banned to their own island | 0.06% | 1 |
| undecided | 0.06% | 1 |
5.
5.
If you discovered that a long time friend was on the list, how would you react? Friend? No longer.
16%
245 votes
Depends on the specifics of the crime.
36%
557 votes
I would judge them based on my personal interactions with them, let the past be the past.
12%
191 votes
I would require an explanation and after a long conversation I would decide whether or not to continue associating with them.
14%
223 votes
N.A
20%
316 votes
Other (please specify)
1%
12 votes
| Other Answers | Percentage | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.19% | 3 | |
| report them to the police | 0.06% | 1 |
| who am i to judge? that's god's job not mine | 0.06% | 1 |
| i would consider the circumstances and be wary or accepting based on the seriousness of the offense. | 0.06% | 1 |
| answer two and answer four.. i'd want proof too | 0.06% | 1 |
| their life their karma | 0.06% | 1 |
| my son is on the list unjustly. and due to laws he can't even stay at home. | 0.06% | 1 |
| i really don't know how i would feel or react. it would actually have to happen and then see how i would f | 0.06% | 1 |
| not all are the same some are falsely accused. you don't judge anyone | 0.06% | 1 |
| not sure but i would be keeping an eye on my kids around them | 0.06% | 1 |
COMMENTS