Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) Implementation Grant

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 Tennessee Department of Corrections intends to collaborate with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Tennessee Boardof Probation and Parole (BOPP) to address various components of continued SORNA compliance. The first step is to identify training gaps and potential risks for Programmed Supervision Unit (PSU) officers associated with the statewide expansion of livescan operations for BOPP Field Offices. Collaborative work can then develop training modules to include, at a minimum: SORNA compliance standards; livescan operations; and NCIC validation and entry, to be made available online for use by the appropriate agency staff. The purchase and installation of desktop computers, operating software, and printers will support the statewide expansion of Livescan operations. Lastly, TN Department of Corrections hope to monitor SORNA compliance outcomes in order to identify implementation gaps.

ca/ncf