Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (AWA) (Pub. L. 109-248, 42 U.S.C. § 16901, et seq) authorizes the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) to administer sex offender management grants. These grants assist state, local and tribal jurisdictions in developing and/or enhancing sex offender registration and notification programs that support substantial implementation of 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 Comanche Nation has opted to implement a sex offender registration and notification program within the Comanche Nation jurisdiction in compliance with the SORNA. This project will focus on identifying and registering sex offenders within the Nation's jurisdiction, improving community awareness and safety, and reporting non-compliance with the sex offender registration program to the Tribal Court and US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma for active enforcement. The first goal of the project is to implement a SORNA compliant sex offender registration and notification program within the Comanche Nation's jurisdiction by hiring and training key personnel to implement the program; Develop and implement program policies that support legislation; purchase necessary equipment for program implementation; and identify and register sex offenders in the Comanche Nation's Jurisdiction. The second goal is to enhance criminal justice information sharing at the jurisdictional level as well as between jurisdictions thereby enhancing victim and community safety by developing a searchable website accessible by the public; issue bulletins and host meetings in districts where high-risk or non-compliance sex offenders reside, work, or attend school; and engage state and tribal representatives in a dialogue and development of a collaborative MOU.

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