A MESSAGE FROM MARC KLAAS

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

When you were growing up, it probably never occurred to you that one day you would have to spend time and effort assuring your children's safety. After all, we have great police and a justice system, right? But too often these days even the police and the courts can't always protect our children from molestation. And so far, at least, there seems to be no cure for the desire to assault children, and sex offenders repeat their crime more frequently than almost any other type of criminal.

How can we protect our children from such people? The greatest step is to find legislative solutions. States that adopt the increasingly popular sex offender registration laws, designed to track and monitor ex-felons, send the clearest message "We are not going to take it anymore."

Registration laws--including notification to a community that the offender has taken up residence there--assist law enforcement investigations, grant legal grounds for holding known offenders found in suspicious circumstances, help citizens protect themselves, and (hopefully) deter molesters from committing new crimes. New Jersey's Megan's Law now serves as a template for legislation in several states; it was enacted after seven-year-old Megan Kenka was lured to the home of a neighbor, sexually assaulted, and strangled. No one knew then that her attacker was a previously convicted child molester.

Because sex offenders tend to be transients, it is also imperative that information collected by each state is accessible to law enforcement officials throughout the country. Of the 50 million criminal rap sheets available, though, the Interstate Identification Index database contains only about 20.5 million. It is a betrayal of the public trust that 21 states still don't think it's necessary to supply the Index with criminal backgrounds of paroled violent and sexual felons.

Along with sex offender tracking, citizens can also support truth-in-sentencing laws, which are based on the federal standard of 85-percent time served. The person accused of murdering my beautiful daughter, Polly, has a exceptionally violent criminal history dating back over 20 years. Yet he only served less than half of a 16-year prison term for the assault and robbery of his second kidnap victim. Less than months later, Polly was dead!

We at the Foundation invite you to join us as we campaign to help others understand the basic importance of such laws. In this issue of the Klaas Action Review, you may read the story of how one California city slashed its crime rates just by implementing full sentences for juvenile criminals (page 4). You will also find updates on the Foundation's many activities and events, along with a special thanks to our wonderful supporting donors. And, please, talk to your children about the Halloween Safety Tips, and help keep them safe during the holiday.

Marc Klaas