..."I think they need to reconvene and look at who is on the sex offender site," said Blanchette, a Democrat from Bangor. Rep. Sean Faircloth, a leader of the sex offender study committee, agreed that registries are ripe for a new look. But next time around he would like to see more emphasis on prevention of sex crimes through policies such as increased penalties and additional jail time for certain offenses.
"Thats where you reduce sex crimes not registries," said Faircloth, D-Bangor. "I have yet to see data that shows sex registries actually work" to either reduce crime or increase public safety.
But even with questions about the registries, they carry clear benefits such as allowing parents to check on people who come in contact with their children at schools, churches and other places, Efland said.
Theres a balancing act between public safety and offenders rights, but the registries can also serve as a deterrent for sex offenders, he said.
"Theres a sense that people are watching them," he said. "The person in line behind them at Hannaford may or may not have seen their picture on the Web site, and it keeps people honest in what theyre supposed to do, in terms of avoiding children and that sort of thing."