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NSOPW

The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) has added an exciting enhancement. As of December 2011, users can now conduct address-based searches of the following 13 States: Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington. Although many jurisdictions offer address-based searching on their individual public registry websites, having a national address search available in one location is tremendously helpful for the public. Unfortunately, these 13 States are the only States thus far that have provided the offender information needed to search for registered sex offenders by address. The remaining 37 States are encouraged to make providing this information a priority.

NSOPW is getting a facelift. A project to completely redesign the website is expected to be completed by July 1, 2012. The new design will improve navigation and provide a more visually appealing experience. The mobile version of NSOPW is also being redesigned so that it is consistent with the full version and adapts easily to different screen sizes. With this adaptability, the site will appear on mobile devices, phones, or tablets in a way that maximizes the individual device's screen size, providing a customized view for each device.

SORNA Exchange Portal

The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) Exchange Portal allows sex offender registration jurisdictions to share information, particularly about offenders moving or traveling to other jurisdictions. Currently, 40 States and numerous tribal jurisdictions are responding to Offender Relocation Tasks assigned to them in the SORNA Exchange Portal. (The "tasks" feature allows jurisdictions to notify one another when offenders relocate.) This is a tremendous improvement since the last newsletter, but the goal is to have all jurisdictions actively sharing information through the portal.

Some functionality has been added to the portal recently to make it a more useful resource. One enhancement is the creation of an information request form, which allows jurisdictions to request information from other jurisdictions without having to know specific contact information. Jurisdiction contacts automatically receive an email about the information request and can log on to the portal to handle it. Another enhancement is the addition of monthly reports that are emailed to all jurisdiction contacts. These reports list the recipient jurisdiction's Offender Relocation Tasks that have not yet been completed.

In addition, the portal also provides more information about working with the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS):

  • A map on the USMS portal site assists jurisdictions with identifying the appropriate USMS district contact for their area.
  • An international travel form, available on the portal's home page, allows jurisdictions to notify USMS about registered sex offenders traveling or relocating internationally. (See International Travel Form for more information.)
TTSORS

Tribes and territories are continuing to adopt the Tribe and Territory Sex Offender Registry System (TTSORS) as their sex offender management system and public website. There are now 121 jurisdictions that have adopted TTSORS, with more expected over the next few months. Additionally, 81 of the 121 jurisdictions are currently participating in NSOPW through TTSORS, and their registration information is included in NSOPW national searches. For jurisdictions using TTSORS, no extra effort is needed to share information with NSOPW. If your jurisdiction is using TTSORS and is not sharing information with NSOPW, please send a request to [email protected].

The TTSORS National Training Event is scheduled for April 24–25, 2012, in Asheville, North Carolina. More than 180 attendees are expected, representing close to 100 tribes and territories. Attendees will learn about all of the system's features, including enhancements that will be unveiled during the event.

Social Media

The SMART Office is working on an NSOPW Facebook page that will educate people about sexual violence and, it is hoped, prevent potential victimization. Facebook is heavily used by parents, young adults, and teens and could be a great way to push out valuable safety information to the people who would be most interested in receiving it. The NSOPW Facebook page should be available soon.

Contents
  • SMART Tools
    Review this article for updates on NSOPW, the SORNA Exchange Portal, TTSORS, and a planned social media release. . . . arrow More
  • International Travel Form
    The supplemental guidelines require sex offenders to report their international travel 21 days prior to departing the United States . . .  arrow More
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