Legal Definitions - criminal registration

Definition: Criminal registration is the requirement in some communities that any felon who spends any time in the community must register his or her name with the police. This is usually done to keep track of convicted criminals and prevent them from committing further crimes. Since the late 1980s, many states have adopted strict registration laws for convicted sex offenders, known as Megan's Law.

Example: John was convicted of a sex offense and served his time in prison. When he was released, he had to register with the police in his community as a convicted sex offender. This means that he had to provide his name, address, and other personal information to the police, and he had to keep them updated if he moved or changed jobs. Failure to register could result in additional criminal charges.

Explanation: This example illustrates how criminal registration works in practice. John was required to register with the police because he was a convicted sex offender. This allowed the police to keep track of him and monitor his activities to prevent him from committing further crimes. The registration requirement is intended to protect the community from dangerous criminals and help law enforcement agencies do their job more effectively.