Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich hasn’t decided whether to sign a bill to create a public registry of people who commit violent crimes against children.
The General Assembly passed the measure in May.
Under current law, ex-cons guilty of violent crimes against minors are forced to register as sex offenders, something state Representative John Fritchey (D-Cook County) says is illogical.
“To take someone who may have committed a violent crime as a youth or a gang member, and to further stigmatize them as a sex offender, not only is inappropriate, but it makes it harder for them to reintegrate into society,” Fritchey said.
Fritchey says people who commit violent crimes are less likely to re-offend than sexual criminals.
If approved, the new registry would take about a year to put into place.