Former criminals will become modern-day Hester Prynnes with the continuance of the recently enacted Megan's Law. The law, which informs communities of past sex offenders' residence in their neighborhoods, becomes an extra sentence -- much like a scarlet letter -- forever marring that person's future life.

The law is a quick fix for a complex problem and forgets the constitutional guarantee of individual rights for private citizens.

Megan's Law informs a community of the presence of a past sex offender, but the law as reform must be reconsidered for a variety of reasons.

By penalizing criminals who wish to forget their past and start again, the law needlessly alarms residents and can produce extreme reactions from the public.

The brutal rape and murder of 7-year-old Megan Kanka inspired Megan's Law. A repeat sex offender who had completed his prison term was convicted for the crime.

Megan's Law punishes all former sex offenders for the crimes of one. But at what price?

In a recent case, two people assaulted a man who they thought was a released sex offender. The victim was not a former sex offender, but rather only a friend of one. That type of vigilante justice typifies the behavior that Megan's Law may produce.

Instead of a scarlet letter, America needs a better reform system for convicted sex offenders. The government cannot mandate that those who have paid their debt to society should be forced to pay for the rest of their lives. By announcing where a former sex offender lives, it is no wonder that citizens become concerned and take matters into their own hands.

In reality, punishing every person who goes through the prison system adds to that system. If the public does not have faith in the criminal justice system, then that area needs reform. The American judicial process must be capable of determining whether a sex offender is rehabilitated enough to go free.

Megan's Law is a knee-jerk reaction to a problem that has no absolute solution. Today, past sex offenders can be identified after serving their time. Tomorrow, a past jaywalker -- or anyone who committed any sort of crime that society deems to be particularly dangerous -- could be the person whose crimes are publicized.