Reports indicate that the implementation of these laws has caused severe overcrowding in the nation's prisons and increased state expenditures for corrections by billions of dollars. Additionally, they have involved defendants convicted of property crimes rather than violent crimes, and have had a disproportionate impact on African Americans. Another means used to combat crime is the increased use of asset forfeiture laws. These laws authorize the government to seize any item used in the commission of a crime or purchased with the proceeds of criminal activity. Items typically seized are cars, cellular telephones, houses, and cash.
Asset forfeitures involve a civil proceeding.
Importantly, the owner of the property does not have the right to court appointed counsel. So, even if a defendant is represented by a public defender for the criminal charges he faces, the public defender cannot and will not represent him against the government in the forfeiture proceeding. As the public has cried out for more accountability from criminals, it has also cried out for increased public safety. Sexual offender registration laws are designed to help law enforcement officials as well as members of the community keep track of where individuals who have been convicted of sexual crimes are living. Another way of dealing with sex offenders is through sexual predator laws.