hold back ten percent of their crime-fighting funding, to establish systems where anyone whocommits a sexual or kidnapping offense against a child is required to register his or her addresswith the state apon release. The original version gave law enforcement agencies the choice whento release an offender’s information if they thought it necessary for the public’s protection. Unfortunately, some law enforcement agencies did not do so(Oakes 99). On July 29, 1994, the ineffectiveness of the current notification law became painfullyapparent. Megan Kanka, unbeknownst to her or her family, lived across the street from threeconvicted sex offenders. On that day Jesse Timmendequas, a twice-convicted sex offender, luredMegan into his house by promising to show her a new puppy. He then raped and murdered her. Other than the three men, no one in the residential neighborhood of Trenton, New Jersey wasaware of their criminal backgrounds(Oakes 99). Timmendequas had been released despite his andhis therapist’s doubts that he could adjust to life outside of prison. On top of this, he had beengranted early release for “good time”, even though failed to participate regularly in prescribedtherapy. “Had I known that there were three pedophiles living across the street from my home, Inever would have allowed Megan to walk out of the door of my house alone. I guarantee shewould be alive today,” stated Maureen Kanka(Martin 96). In response to this preventable atrocity New Jersey enacted Megan’s Law. On May 17,1996 President Clinton, on recommendation from The Department of Justice, amended the 1994Wetterling Act with Megan’s Law requiring agencies to release information in all cases necessaryto protect the public and allowing any registry information to be disclosed for any purposepermitted under state law. Today, all 50 states require convicted sex offenders register withstates agencies of law ...
