FY 2018 AWA/SORNA

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.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Safety intends to invest 2018 grant funds in maintaining the sex offender registry on the island of Saipan. The program will continue Sex Offender Registry development efforts on the islands of Tinian and Rota. The program will increase public awareness, as well as victim and public safety. As part of the project goal for the 2018 grant period, the program will focus on certification and training for law enforcement officers and the program manager. The program will increase officer safety, especially while conducting compliance/verification checks.

ca/ncf