FY 2013 Guam Sex Offender SMART 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 Judiciary of Guam has substantially implemented the provisions of SORNA but needs to improve its infrastructure to address some of the challenges it faces in fully implementing the requirements of the law. Guam plans to increase the timeliness and accuracy of its information and to conduct verification of all sex offender data by hiring a Case Manager and a Probation Officer to increase its registry staff and by sending staff members to training workshops and seminars. They will also (1) convert registry documents to digital format; (2) enhance the police department's ability to collect fingerprints, DNA and other samples by updating their equipment and supplies; and (3) decrease the number of noncompliant offenders in Guam by hiring a full-time prosecutor. ca/ncf