States list meth offenders on Web.

States frustrated with the growth of toxic methamphetamine labs are creating Internet registries to publicize the names of people convicted of making or selling meth, the cheap and highly addictive stimulant plaguing communities across the nation.
The registries — similar to the sex-offender registries operated by every state — have been approved within the past 18 months in Tennessee, Minnesota and Illinois. Montana has listed those convicted of running illegal drug labs on its Internet registry of sexual and violent offenders since 2003. Meth-offender registries are being considered in Georgia, Maine, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington state and West Virginia.

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The new registries represent the latest effort by governments against meth, which can be made from household ingredients such as cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine. As meth labs have spread east from California during the past decade, most states have increased penalties for meth manufacturing and restricted the sale of medicines used to make the drug. Those laws have contributed to a decline in meth labs, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, which reported that authorities found more than 17,000 labs in 2003 and more than 12,000 last year.

Tennessee has more than 400 people in its meth-offender database, which was created partly in response to complaints from landlords and other property owners about the toxic waste created after chemicals are "cooked" to make meth.

Illinois lawmakers approved a meth-offender registry in June, and last month Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty used his executive powers to create a registry that is to be online by Dec. 31.

The registries generally include the names, birthdates and offenses of convicted meth manufacturers, dealers and traffickers. The dates of their convictions and the locations of their crimes also are included. The listings are not as specific as those in sex-offender registries, which include offenders' addresses and photos.

Officials in Minnesota and elsewhere say residents and landlords will be able to use the registries to check for meth offenders in their communities. "We want to arm citizens with information, so they can protect themselves and their communities," says Brian McClung, a spokesman for Pawlenty.

The meth-offender registries have not been challenged in court, but the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other critics say there are legal and practical drawbacks to them.

Graham Boyd, director of the ACLU's Drug Policy Litigation Project, says the prospect of being listed on a meth-offender registry for at least several years after a conviction amounts to an extra punishment "that's not allowed under our Constitution."

However, three years ago the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a similar double-jeopardy argument when it upheld state registries for sex offenders, who the court said posed a unique threat to communities.

If meth registries are challenged in court, a key question would be whether meth offenders are as much of a threat to public safety as sex offenders.

Studies consistently have shown that offenders who abuse drugs have high re-arrest rates. Recidivism rates among sex offenders can vary widely.

Boyd also says drug users could use meth-offender registries to locate dealers. "One group for whom this registry is going to be an incredibly good resource is people looking to buy methamphetamine," he says.