Topeka ? Kansas laws dealing with sex offenders after they are released from prison are similar to other states’ statutes upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, Atty. Gen. Phill Kline says.

Kline said he was pleased by the court’s rulings Wednesday in cases from Alaska and Connecticut.

The justices upheld a law under which Alaska posted pictures and personal information about registered sex offenders on the Internet. The court also rejected a challenge to a Connecticut law that requires sex offenders to register with local authorities after leaving prison.

Kline supported such measures and as a Kansas House member served on a task force that helped draft such laws.

“The court recognizes that these convicted criminals still pose a significant danger to society and that states can take reasonable steps to protect and inform the public,” Kline said.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has posted information about convicted sex offenders on its Internet site since 1997.

In a 6-3 ruling in the Alaska case, the justices said the law is not an extra punishment for offenders who already have served their sentences. Instead, the majority concluded that the law is designed to inform the public.

In a unanimous ruling in the Connecticut case, the court rejected a claim that the state was required to hold a hearing on whether someone is still dangerous before requiring them to register.

In Kansas, whether people must register after being released from prison is based only on the crime for which they were convicted. Kline said those people enjoyed due legal process in their criminal trials.