Megan's Law
/ˈmeɡənz/ /ˈmā-
/noun
A law requiring authorities to notify communities of the whereabouts of convicted sex offenders. It was first enacted by New Jersey in 1995.Sex offenders who have abused children, in particular, currently have their past crimes made public and even posted on the Internet under the various states' Megan's Laws, and are required to register with the government when they move....
- In 1996, the Wetterling Act was amended as Megan's Law, which requires states to release relevant information about registered sex offenders to protect the public.
- The new system is called Operation Predator, a four-month-old program that can link immigration data with a list of sex offenders compiled under Megan's Law.
Origin
Named after Megan Kanka, a 7-year-old New Jersey girl murdered by a neighbor who was a convicted sex offender.