Source: martyklein.com 1/28/26
Megan’s Law Keeps Harming America
Who cares about a bunch of sex offenders? And if we can keep children safer by destroying molesters’ lives, what’s the problem?
That’s the thinking behind Megan’s Law (1994), the Adam Walsh Act (2006), efforts to require special Sex Offender license plates, and dozens of other laws to restrict the movement, residence, employment, privacy, and every other right of convicted sex offenders.
Megan’s Law was sponsored by New Jersey congressman Dick Zimmer, who recently died at age 81. Signed by then-president Clinton, the federal law required states and municipalities to set up websites listing the local addresses of convicted sex offenders who had completed their sentences.
The supposed reason for this is the familiar chant of every moral panic: “Helping families make informed decisions for themselves and their children.” Decisions about what? “Honey, don’t wear that mini-skirt outside, there’s a molester living across the street.” “Quick, change lanes, we don’t want to drive behind a molester.”
Predictably, these registries are used by vigilante groups attempting to drive registrants out of their community. Cities across America also require offenders to surrender their civil rights on Halloween–despite no evidence whatsoever of an uptick in offender activity. Laws regulate where registrants are allowed to live—requirements so stringent that they often end up under freeway overpasses, homeless camps, or in the desert. If they weren’t poor, sick, and hopeless before release, they are soon after.
Unfortunately, federal and university studies now show that these laws do NOT make American children safer—in fact, they divert resources and attention away from actually protecting kids.
1) Most sexual exploitation of children is done by…
Dr. Marty Klein needs to be invited for Lobby Days and to Washington DC.
Good article he wrote among the others he has on his blog.
The topic needs to include state insurance commissioners and business insurance companies need to be on the hit list of those who are pestered about changing their insurance laws where PFRs are impacted. I know I have been impacted because business insurance was going to increase if I joined the company policy.
These types of articles showing the recidivism rates and data that PFRs are not the “boogieman” the media and lawmakers say we are.
I have lost jobs, been threatened and had property vandalized due to the registry.
Wow, I like this Marty Klein, but never heard of him before. We should be using him more – and he’s in CA so should be a great ACSOL asset!
Megan’s law was enacted after my conviction, like so many others on the “list” no punishment here????
Check out his book from several years ago, “America’s War on Sex”.