Megans Law 
Megan’s Law
Brianna Cronin
A.P Government
Baumann
3/22/12
Brianna Cronin
Baumann
A.P Government
3/22/12
Megan’s Law
From every bad incident that happens good can often result from it, as seen through a policy that was created after a tragic story. A little girl named Megan Kanka, who was kidnapped, raped, and then murdered by a twice-convicted sex offender, was the unfortunate inspiration. After Megan wrongfully lost her life due to her parents lack of knowledge that a sex offender had just moved into the neighborhood, a man named Dick Zimmerman decided that change was in order for the state of New Jersey and the country as a whole. In order to prevent another tragedy from happening, Zimmerman created a policy that requires authorities to make information available to the public regarding sex offenders. Each state has the final say as to what information is shared and how it is shared, but every state is required to have some form of the law. The Megan’s law proposal made by the Clinton administration passed due to campaigning by interest groups, media involvement, and pressure from the president.
Numerous interest groups and advocates worked together to get a petition signed to get Megan’s Law passed in New Jersey. The largest interest group, who had the most influence, was The Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation. The foundation was created by Megan Kanka’s parents after the death of their child, because they believed that, “ America was doing a horrific job of protecting, what is most precious to them, their children”(Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation). They fought long and hard to convince the public that, “ any convicted pedophile released from prison should not be allowed to reside in neighborhoods without the knowledge of the parents and children in that neighborhood” (Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation). This statement helped to reinforce the underlying reason for why Megan’s Law was necessary for the country. In order to improve
Brianna Cronin
A.P Government
Baumann
3/22/12
Brianna Cronin
Baumann
A.P Government
3/22/12
Megan’s Law
From every bad incident that happens good can often result from it, as seen through a policy that was created after a tragic story. A little girl named Megan Kanka, who was kidnapped, raped, and then murdered by a twice-convicted sex offender, was the unfortunate inspiration. After Megan wrongfully lost her life due to her parents lack of knowledge that a sex offender had just moved into the neighborhood, a man named Dick Zimmerman decided that change was in order for the state of New Jersey and the country as a whole. In order to prevent another tragedy from happening, Zimmerman created a policy that requires authorities to make information available to the public regarding sex offenders. Each state has the final say as to what information is shared and how it is shared, but every state is required to have some form of the law. The Megan’s law proposal made by the Clinton administration passed due to campaigning by interest groups, media involvement, and pressure from the president.
Numerous interest groups and advocates worked together to get a petition signed to get Megan’s Law passed in New Jersey. The largest interest group, who had the most influence, was The Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation. The foundation was created by Megan Kanka’s parents after the death of their child, because they believed that, “ America was doing a horrific job of protecting, what is most precious to them, their children”(Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation). They fought long and hard to convince the public that, “ any convicted pedophile released from prison should not be allowed to reside in neighborhoods without the knowledge of the parents and children in that neighborhood” (Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation). This statement helped to reinforce the underlying reason for why Megan’s Law was necessary for the country. In order to improve
Cited: All Politics. “Clinton Signs Tougher ‘Megan’s Law.’” AllPolitics-CNN. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. <http://www-cgi.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9605/17/clinton.sign/ Bonnar, Kidd, and Kelly K. “Sexual Offender Laws and Prevention of Sexual Violence or Recidivism.” American Journal Of Public Health 1 Mar. 2010: n. pag. eLibrary. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. <http://www.elibrary.com/elibweb> Center for Sex Offender Management. “Public Opinion and the Criminal Justice System:Building Support for Sex Offender Management Programs.” Center for Sex Offender Management . N.p., Apr. 2000. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. <http://www.csom.org/pubs/pubpinion.pdf> Filler, Daniel M. “Making the Case for Megan’s Law: A Study in Legislative Rhetoric.” Indiana University. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. <http://www.law.indiana.edu/ilj/volumes/v76/no2/filler.pdf> McCabe, Scott. “CRIME HISTORY - Child’s rape, murder leads to Megan’s Law.” WashingtonExaminer. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. <http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime/2009/07/crime-history-childs-rape-murder-leads-megans-law/94009>. Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation. “Our Mission.” Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation . N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. <http://www.megannicolekankafoundation.org/mission.htm>. Murr, Andrew. “Holes in The Safety Net .” Newsweek 23 Feb. 2003: n. pag. Newsweek. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2003/02/23/holes-in-the-safety-net.html>. National Institute of Justice. “About Megan’s Law.” Office Of Justice Programs. Department of Justice, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. <http://www.nij.gov/topics/corrections/community/sex-offenders/about-megans-law.htm>. Project VoteSmart. “National Key Votes- Megan’s Law.” Project VoteSmart. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. <http://www.votesmart.org/bill/2763/8163/megans-law>. Ruane, Jessica. “Megan’s Law: The Impact on Society and Sex Offender Recidivism.” Sarasota- University of South Florida . University of South Florida , n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.sarasota.usf.edu/academics/cas/capstone/2009-2010/criminology/ruane%20-%20megan’s%20law.pdf>. media paragraph