Sex offenders really seem to encourage the creative side of politicians. Lawmakers regularly experiment with new criminal justice ideas with sex offenders as the guinea pigs. The latest examples are requiring polygraph tests and email registration. Proposals are being considered in New York to use polygraphs and email registration is on the agenda in Congress and Virginia:
Officials in two states proposed unusual plans Monday to tighten oversight of convicted sex offenders: Virginia's attorney general wants them to register their e-mail addresses and online IDs, and New York officials want them to take lie-detector tests.
In New York, the parolees' answers to a computer-based polygraph test about their whereabouts could be used to justify electronic monitoring, prohibit Internet use or restrict travel, said Division of Parole spokesman Scott Steinhardt.
He said 13 officers had already been trained on the equipment, and the plan was approved by the division's lawyer, but it hadn't been reviewed by the state Attorney General's office.
"This is not a panacea; it's not a magic bullet," Ellis said. "However, the Division of Parole believes it could substantially enhance the effective supervision and containment of sex offenders."
Recent Comments