Panel mulls sex offender registry

AUGUSTA – Changes in the way Maine handles its sex offender registry will not be quick, if they happen at all. That was the conclusion of some key members of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee after a day of testimony from state officials, lawyers and representatives of various groups.

The content of the registry and whether one was needed came into question last April after a Canadian man apparently used the online listing to track down and kill two sex offenders in their homes.

“No, it’s not going to be quick and easy,” said state Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, co-chairman of the committee. “I don’t think I am in favor of taking anyone off the registry, necessarily, but I think we should provide more information for the public to judge for themselves whether a person is a danger to society.”

State Rep. Patricia Blanchette, D-Bangor, the co-chairman of the panel, said she expects there will be some changes proposed and adopted by lawmakers next session. She said the Legislature’s decision to expand the registry to include all persons convicted of a sex crime since 1982 is one she wants to revisit. Before last fall the registry was limited to offenders whose crimes were committed after Jan. 1, 1992.

“We felt, deep in our hearts and with all conviction, that we were doing the right thing,” she said. “But, families have been ruined by this. These are good people that made horrendous mistakes years ago and how long are we going to make them pay?”

Blanchette also suggested the panel propose a way for one-time offenders to get off the list and not be branded sex offenders forever. She said there also is very little risk of the teenager convicted of having sex with his teenage girlfriend reoffending, yet he too is on the list.

“Are you sure? How do we know for sure they are not going to offend again?” asked state Rep. Richard Sykes, R-Harrison. “I don’t think we can answer that for sure.”

He said the Legislature needs to be “very cautious” about making any changes to the sex offender registry law that he is convinced helps protect the public and has proven its usefulness. He said there should be additional information provided to the public about offenders on the registry and lawmakers should focus on that area.

“I think it’s appropriate to put the sentence, the charge, the age of the victim, but as far as a risk assessment, I am going to need convincing,” Sykes said.

Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion told the panel that while he considers risk assessments useful tools for law enforcement, he is not sure they would be “all that helpful” to the public.

Some states that have sex offender registries for the public also have a separate list that is only available to law enforcement agencies that includes risk assessments of the offenders. Panel members expressed an interest in more information on those Web sites.

Lawmakers also asked state Deputy Corrections Commissioner Denise Lord to provide them with more information on the accuracy of risk assessments of sex offenders and other data about the current offenders on the registry. She is expected to return with that information at a panel meeting in September.

Sen. Deborah Plowman, R-Hampden, told her fellow lawmakers they should consider recommending tougher penalties as well as providing more information to the public about the sex offenders on the registry.

“We are not dealing with this,” she said. “Other states are much sterner and much stricter with sex offenders than we are.”

The panel heard from state police officials that the current sex offender registry has an average of 750,000 “hits” a month, the most of any state government Web site. But less than 10 percent of those inquiries go on to the next level of detail offered on the Web site.

“That’s because it costs to go to that next level,” Diamond said. “We need to provide more information at no cost to the public. This is all about public safety.”

The panel plans to meet at least one more time, and will make recommendations for the next Legislature that will be elected in November.