Please keep in mind that while some people required to register can be dangerous, these laws are overbroad. No reason not to avoid trick-or-treating at registered homes, sure, but please don't use this information to otherwise harass registered individuals and their families when you don't know the whole story. Sometimes the underlying crimes are not things most of us would consider registration-worthy (or even conviction worthy). Crimes of conviction sometimes sound far more alarming than the underlying conduct warrants (and sometimes far less alarming).

There are several dozen studies which prove that fear and hysteria is absolutely false. Here's one with 5.3%:
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/press/rsorp94pr.cfm
Here is another stating 2.7%
http://issuu.com/soissues/docs/ct_-_recidivism_2012/1
Want a third? According to Dr. Jill Levenson’s 2009 study “How Safe Are Trick-or-Treaters? An Analysis of Child Sex Crime Rates on Halloween,” http://sax.sagepub.com/content/21/3/363.full.pdf+html theft, vandalism, robbery, and assault rates increase on Halloween and the days following. After interviewing members of law enforcement all over the country, no evidence was found to indicate any increase in sex crimes against children by people on the registry on Halloween. Want more?

Rather the listing every person address. PAtch should have just listed the link and let each person that wants to know use it. They way they can also read the information given on the site

I say, go to their house for Halloween Trick or Treating and let them see you wearing your concealcarryillinois.com Sweatshirt. The message will get through...

Despite repeated contacts with the editors and writers of Patch.com challenging them to demonstrate how this kind of information actually makes Halloween safer for kids, the editors continue to print these sensational stories as a way to frighten their readers and increase their circulation. Once again, I urge Patch.com and its readers to be more thoughtful about this issue and consider the facts. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/10/prweb10035290.htm

Patch is at it again, this is their "canned" article that every single Patch page fixes to the locality and does it at this time of year, every year. Of course they refuse to mention (the major issue here,) that no Previous Offender has EVER ever been documented as doing anything to anyone on Halloween. I'd be much more aware of Razors in apples, and tainted candy, than of anyone on a list. Someone is profiting off of this hysteria, and it is NOT the children. Parents out with their children have prevented anything from happening to their children. THAT'S WHAT WORKS. Not some listing, or a map. Wake up people! Reality, what a concept!

I did read the article in Will's comments. People registered in the register are not allowed to give out candy on Halloween to kids. And the article does point out, that
these people have spouses, and children that go to school in the town they live in, and why should they be punished also? It states that other family members CAN give out Halloween candy.
Since we all have internet and can look these things up ourselves if we want to, I wonder why y'all had to post that map with addresses, and I definitely agree with e's comment. This article has opened the door for these people and their families to be bullied. Good job.

It appears that each of you who has commented, comes across as so pro sex offender. I'm confused. I understand that there are instances where, as an example, an 18 year old guy who is intimate with a 15 year old girl, could unfortunately be "labeled and/or charged" as a sex offender, but I, as a mom, grandmother and more importantly, a woman, needs to and want to know who is on the list. Sorry- but, that's how I feel. If a sex offender can't live within a school zone, daycare or youth center, I certainly don't want the children in my family buzzing their doorbells or knocking on their doors.

Thanks, Will. I'm not concerned that sex offenders are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Halloween. I just want to know who is out there to better protect myself and my love ones. I'm sure there are ugly people out there that no one knows about or who has never been caught. These are the ones we should be most concerned about.

I am definitely not pro-sex offender. Its easy to access the Sex Offender Registry at any time. I don't know if people read the link in Will's comments above. It was a helpful article.

Sometimes we get lax and forget to be mindful of our surroundings. This article, for me anyway, made me remember to be diligent and aware of my surroundings. This is the message I got from this article. I don't believe that this article was written to harm any offenders or for any of them or their family to be harassed. It's just a heads up or reminder.

This kind of information is helpful for the community. It lets people know where to be alert and better able to protect them selves. It also allows the offender to not go underground and hide. The offender needs a place to live in the community. Joan