Every once in a while, critics of sex offender registries come up with some pretty good reasons the registries are unfair. First on the list is often the fact that the convicts have already served their time. Close on its heels is the fact that convicted murderers don't even have to report their address anymore once their prison time and parole/probation is over.
Illinois has decided to do something about this unfair registry. They're working on a law that will require convicted killers to report their addresses and Facebook pages to the police, just like convicted sex offenders.
Their Facebook page?!
The bill, called "Andrea's Law," passed the Illinois house 97 to 1. It's named after Andrea Will, who was murdered in 1998 by her boyfriend Justin Boulay. Patty Rosenberg, Will’s mother, is hopeful that the bill will be made into law.
“First-degree murder, if you have to live with that for the rest of your life as a perpetrator … should you just be able to walk away?” said Rosenberg. “I don’t feel it should stop at the prison gate. I don’t think it should stop after a couple of years of probation.”
Rep. Monique Davis, D-Chicago, was the only representative to vote no. She said unlimited registries for ex-convicts increase the likelihood that they would commit more crimes.
“It’s a slippery slope, ladies and gentlemen,” Davis said during debate. “If we keep making registries for different crimes and convictions, where does it stop?”