Rhode Island SORNA Project

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (AWA) authorizes the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) to administer grants to assist states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and tribal jurisdictions in developing and/or enhancing sex offender registration and notification programs that support substantial implementation of Title I of the AWA, 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.

Rhode Island Department of Public Safety will use AWA funds to establish a new, fully automated sex offender registration system and website with improved search functionality and email notification capability. A new registry system would allow for better quality assurance and lead to greater public safety and sex offender management and improved cost-effectiveness for municipal law enforcement agencies in the jurisdiction. In addition, the state seeks to continue funding a full-time sex offender registry manger to operate the system and ensure data integrity.
ca/ncf