FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1995 (202) 616-2771 TDD (202) 514-1888 ATTORNEY GENERAL'S STATEMENT In January, a federal district court in New Jersey blocked a state law requiring notice to a community when a rapist released from prison was about to move there. New Jersey is one of 40 states that have enacted a requirement that sex offenders be registered where they live. 16 states did so last year. The Crime Bill encourages all the states to adopt community notification procedures for violent sexual predators. The President is vigorously supporting this provision and the Department of Justice intends to back the State of New Jersey in defending its law against Constitutional attack. The law, refered to as Megan's law, was named for a victim of a convicted sex criminal. Megan's law requires convicted child molesters and violent sex offenders to register with law enforcement agencies where they intend to live after their release from prison, and provides for community notification of their presence. We are entering the case for several reasons: First, Congress and the administration noted the federal government's concern when the Crime Bill measure was enacted last year. The federal government has a major interest in seeing to it that the constitutionality of such efforts is sustained in the courts. Second, we feel strongly that the states must have the flexibility to enact laws that they believe will provide immediate and necessary protection, as New Jersey has done in this case. Convicted child molesters have a recidivism rate as high as 40-75% according to some studies. The public deserves a fair chance to be on guard. In the days ahead, the form and format of our participation will be clarified. But, our intent should be unmistakable -- which is to defend such laws against constitutional challenge. 95-083