Under a new law that takes effect July 1, anyone living in the state who has been or is convicted of arson-related offenses in Ohio or elsewhere will be required to register annually with their local sheriffs. They must do so for 10 years after they're released from prison. Officials believe the registry will help them apprehend repeat arsonists because they tend to follow the same patterns.
Unlike sex offender registries -- many of which are public -- the arsonist registry will only be available for law enforcement's eyes.
Illinois also passed a law to create an arsonist registry in 2004, but has had trouble implementing it. In the West, Texas and Washington state lawmakers have made unsuccessful attempts to establish such a registry.