Virgin Islands SMART

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (AWA) (Pub. L. 109-248, 42 U.S.C. § 16901, et seq) authorizes the Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) Office to administer sex offender management grants. These grants assist state, local and tribal jurisdictions in implementing and/or enhancing sex offender registration and notification programs that support compliance with Title I of the AWA, known as the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). SORNA was enacted to protect the public from convicted sex offenders and offenders against children by establishing a comprehensive national system for the registration of those offenders.

The Virgin Islands Department of Justice (VIDOJ) will enhance the current system of registration of sex offenders and notification to victims in the Virgin Islands, improve the capacity of the territory's criminal justice system to apprehend, convict, and register sex offenders, and provide timely notification to victims as to the status of the sex offender. The VIDOJ will also develop a specialized unit which will work in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies to share information on registration and non-compliant offenders and further the goals and objectives of SORNA.

ca/ncf