Adam Walsh Act Implementation

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 Caddo Nation has opted to plan, develop and implement a SORNA compliant sex offender registration program. This grant will support the Tribes efforts to establish the program. The goals of this program include the implementation of a SORNA compliant sex offender registration and notification program within the Tribe's jurisdiction, and the enhancement of criminal justice information sharing at the jurisdictional level as well as between jurisdictions thereby enhancing victim and community safety. The Tribe plans to implement provisions of the sex offender registration and notification legislation and policies as approved by the Tribal Council, orient all tribal program personnel by providing information relative to SORNA compliance, develop a public website, identify and register sex offenders currently residing, working or going to school within the Tribes jurisdiction, communicate with other jurisdictions regarding all sex offenders who enter or depart from the jurisdiction, and develop interagency, inter-tribal and tribal-state collaborative agreement to enhance information sharing. To accomplish this the Tribe will need equipment for program implementation as well as to train key personnel, and develop and implement program policies that support legislation.

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