As a husband and a father of two children,Assemblyman Finch strongly believes that it is the obligation of legislators to protect our communities from sex offenders.

• Assemblyman Finch knows that sex offenders have a high recidivism rate, with statistics showing that nearly 50 percent commit their crimes again.

• Assemblyman Finch knows that polygraph examinations on a sample of imprisoned sex offenders with fewer than two known victims, found that these offenders averaged more than 300 offenses and more than 100 victims.*

• Assemblyman Finch also knows that another polygraph test found a similar sample of sex offenders committed sex crimes for an average of 16 years before being caught.**

* Source: Ahlmeyer, Heil, McKee, and English, 2000
** Source: Ahlmeyer, English, and Simons, 1999

That’s why Assemblyman Finch has helped secure state funding to help create a website for the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Department to post the names and addresses of convicted sex offenders so residents may be informed of who is living in their community.

That’s why Assemblyman Finch agrees, with 16 other states and the District of Columbia who have civil confinement legislation in place, that it is the only solution to protect our communities from violent sexual predators.

That’s why Assemblyman Finch fought vigorously for the permanent extension of "Megan’s Law" which will keep level 2 and level 3 sex offenders on the state registry for life so communities have the ability to locate violent sex offenders.

That’s why Assemblyman Finch agrees that longer sentences are needed for violent sex offenders. Assemblyman Finch continues to fight for the implementation of "Jessica’s Law" which would mandate a 25-year minimum prison sentence for offenders who rape a child.