AP: N.Y. Planning Sex Offender Polygraphs

[Eugene]

N.Y. Planning Sex Offender Polygraphs
Va. Official Proposes Sex Offenders' Register E-Mail
Addresses; N.Y. Plans Polygraph Tests

By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM

RICHMOND, Va. Dec 11, 2006 (AP)— Officials in two states proposed unusual
plans Monday to tighten oversight of convicted sex offenders: Virginia's
attorney general wants them to register their e-mail addresses and online
IDs, and New York officials want them to take lie-detector tests.

In New York, the parolees' answers to a computer-based polygraph test
about their whereabouts could be used to justify electronic monitoring,
prohibit Internet use or restrict travel, said Division of Parole spokesman
Scott Steinhardt.

He said 13 officers had already been trained on the equipment, and the plan
was approved by the division's lawyer, but it hadn't been reviewed by the
state Attorney General's office.

-snip-

In Virginia, Attorney General Bob McDonnell said Monday he would seek
legislation to require convicted sex offenders there to register their online
identities with the state to help MySpace and other online teen hangouts
more easily block access.

-snip-

Full article: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2717285

[lectrobyte]

1. I thought polygraphs were about as reliable as flipping a coin. And who

doesn't have as many email addresses as they want, yahoo, hotmail, gmail etc. etc.?

[MadHound]

2. This is less about controlling sex offenders than it is about setting precedent

In order to gradually work it's way down from sex offenders to other sorts of offenders, to finally down to you and me and the rest of the country. People will happily take away the rights of sex offenders, seeing as they're the most vile scum on the face of the planet. But what they fail to realize is that this sets a precedent that can be used eventually on everybody:shrug:

[Porcupine]

3. Just throw them into the pond and see if they float.......

it's about as accurate. The truth is they have no way of profiling who will re-offend or why. Just bring on the villagers with the torches.