Continuing Tribal SORNA 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 Spirit Tribe has established a registry, SORNA board, drafted policies and procedures, and is currently working further on SORNA compliance. The Tribe plans to: (1) support and enhance the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Program within the Spirit Lake Tribe through training and inter-agency meetings; and (2) enhance criminal justice information sharing at the jurisdictional level through maintaining bulletins, improving website accessibility, and working with state officials.

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