Summary of Key Issues in Megan’s Law Statutes
Author: Karen J. Terry, Ph.D..; J. Furlong, Ph.D..
Source: Volume 09, Number 02, February/March 2008 , pp.17-21(5)
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Abstract:
Megan’s Laws, which most people know are named after Megan Kanka, a 7-year-old New Jersey girl who was raped and murdered by sex offender Jesse Timmendequas who also happened to be a neighbor, were enacted across the country during the tough-on-crime era. On the surface, the laws seemed to fill the gap that Megan’s death sadly highlighted: If her mother had known that a sex offender was living down the street, she might not have allowed her daughter to ride her bike around the neighborhood unsupervised, which was what Megan had been doing the day she was abducted and killed. Information about the whereabouts of these offenders was the key.Keywords:
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