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Kari Huus Reporter • Profile • E-mail

Internet registries of rapists or pedophiles are available in every state, but a new breed of criminal now is experiencing the notoriety of being outed online — people convicted of making or selling methamphetamine.

"It lets the community know that there’s someone like this in their community, because the likelihood of them going back and doing it again is high," said Georgia state Rep. Mike Coan, who is spearheading meth registry legislation. "It’s no different, really, from the sex offender (registry). If there’s one living near me, I want to know it."

The idea of posting the names of meth offenders online is gaining momentum. Four states have put in place laws to create Internet meth offender registries, two are putting final touches on similar laws, and several other proposed bills are in limbo until the state legislatures start the new session.

But critics say the registries raise legal questions, do little to protect the public and may have unintended consequences.

"The problem with these registries is that we’re creating a class of untouchables within our society who cannot rent apartments or secure employment," said Jonathan Turley, a criminal defense attorney and law professor at George Washington University. “When you diminish the likelihood that ex-felons can live and work in society, you increase the chances that they will return to criminal behavior.”

Desperate times in rural America
Tennessee, which set up the first meth offenders registry in March 2005, has one of the highest rates of methamphetamine use in the country, as well as the personal tragedy and crime associated with it.

The drug's impact has been especially shocking in otherwise peaceful rural areas, where addiction problems are compounded by the danger posed by people "cooking" meth in their homes. The use of toxic chemicals and the risk of explosion imperil not just the producer but family, neighbors and law enforcers, and the cost of cleaning up a production site ranges from $2,000 to $10,000.

Bob Pepping / ZUMA Press file Police and a hazardous materials response team gather and test chemical compounds at a suspected meth lab in Bay Point, Calif. in January, 2003.

“Unlike other drugs where it is really harmful to you and your family, meth is hazardous to all around you,” said Jennifer Johnson, public affairs officer at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which maintains the state's database. “… That’s why we don’t foresee a heroin or cocaine registry.”

To date, Tennessee lists the names of about 400 offenders. As in other states creating similar laws, it includes only people convicted of producing or trafficking in the highly addictive stimulant, not those convicted of simple possession. In the methamphetamine landscape, however, that often means that even people who are cooking meth in their kitchen sink for personal use could be ensnared in the registries.

Property owners were the most forceful backers of legislation to create the meth registry, viewing it as a tool to screen prospective tenants.

But since the list does not include photographs, lists offenders by the location of their offense rather than their current addresses, and doesn't require them to notify authorities when they move, critics say it is little use to the general public.

"It's symbolic," said Bill Piper, director of national affairs at the nonprofit Drug Policy Alliance, which advocates reform of harsh drug laws. "It makes politicians who are really not doing anything look like they are."

Diversion of funds?
Even worse, he said, it diverts funds that could be better used elsewhere.

"We need to invest scarce public resources into educating the public about the use of meth and providing high quality treatment options to fight addiction, not create an intrusive public registry," he said.

Georgia is contemplating a tougher registry law, which would require meth makers or sellers to be listed on the Internet for seven years. As set out in the pending legislation, the registry would include photos and current addresses of the offenders and require them to update their address with each change of residence.

In Indiana, which is considering a meth registry, lawmakers are trying to decide how far to go.

"Do you require the offender to update where they are located, where the crime was committed?" said Ralph Ayres, who led the push for a registry last year before retiring. "It could possibly include photos (if the legislature chooses) but many states do not require those."

"It's easier to (start) with lesser requirements," says Ayres. "But the legislature may want to craft it similar to sex offender registry, which is much more detailed."

Minnesota is slated to launch its registry by the end of the year and Illinois is aiming for March 2007, though it is still working on the content. Montana includes meth offenders on its Internet registry of sexual and violent offenders.

Meth offender registries have also been proposed in Oklahoma, Washington, Kentucky and West Virginia.

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