Megan's Law was passed on January 3, 1996. Safety for our children was raised after an innocent seven-year-old child was raped and murdered by a former convicted sex offender who lived across the street. Megan's Law states that citizens have the right to know when a former sex offender has moved into their neighborhood. It was passed to prevent any incident, like Megan's, from happening again.

Supporters of Megan's Law feel that sex offender's are mentally ill and unfit to live in society. Criminals are put into society with a label that they earned themselves. This enables others not to associate and involve them as if they were regular citizens. This will prevent the sex offenders from leading any normal life that is undeserved. It is a proven fact that out of all crimes commited, sex offenders are the most likely to repeat their act over and over again. Megan's Law is set up to hopefully prevent this from happening. Since sex offenders strive

off of secrecy, Megan's Law strips them of this right. By making them known to all of society it is very difficult for them to commit any type of sexual crime. They will have to live in fear of every eye in the neighborhood on them.

Megan's Law has been proven effective. In California a woman had seen a man playing in the community pool with children. After browsing through Megan's Law CD-ROM, she discovered that he was a former sex offender. The man had been violating his probation. In result he was sentenced to six years in prison. The information that was available for this woman prevented a serious crime from occurring. Other individuals have recognized former sex offenders also. People have been shocked to find out that their coaches, babysitters, youth leaders, and park employees have been former sex offenders.

Megan's Law brings about a feeling of security, but is it constitutionally fair? A judge from Erie County Pennsylvania doesn't seem to think so. Judge Connelly states that "Megan's Law is unconstitutional because defendants have to prove they are not sexually violent predators." An accused sex offender is released back into society after they have been rehabilitated. What gives us the right to set a second sentence on them? Megan's Law makes it impossible for them to lead a normal life. It also sets the accused up for harassment and vigilantism. There have been several incidents of these types of acts across the country. According to Karen Alexander in

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