Meth Epidemic: Tennessee's Registry
Jan. 30, 2006 issue - Law-enforcement officials in Tennessee have a new approach to fighting meth: naming names. Now the public can search an online database for the name, alias and birth date of anyone convicted of manufacturing the drug since last March. It's the first compilation of its kind nationwide, an attempt to curb meth production in a state that last year ranked third in seizures of labs, waste and equipment. Makeshift meth labs—easily set up in a kitchen or garage—are prone to explosions and fires, and leave behind harmful chemicals. "Meth is unique in the way it's a public threat," says Jennifer Johnson, spokesperson for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which operates the site. By using the registry, landlords or property owners could make sure they're not renting to cookers. The names will stay on the site for seven years, at which time the offenders can appeal to be removed.
That's what concerns privacy advocates. "We need to recognize that [meth offenders] served their sentence, and we need to re-integrate them into society," says Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the Tennessee ACLU. Convicts already face many postprison obstacles, including finding jobs and housing, she adds. State Rep. Judd Matheny, a former narcotics officer who helped sponsor the bill, expects the registry to be challenged in court. But he beli
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