Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Incidents involving a stranger perpetrator were closed significantly faster after a registry was implemented in the state.
The FBI-maintained National Sex Offender Registry is a multifaceted tool used by law enforcement to track and monitor persons who are convicted of sex crimes. What may be less recognized, and less often studied, is the ability of a sex offender registry to function as an investigatory database...
In June and September, tribal communities lost two SORNA officers who had been key to implementing the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) on tribal lands. In June, Navajo Nation Police Officer Michael Lee was the first Navajo officer to die from COVID-19. In September, White Mountain Apache Tribal Police SORNA Compliance Specialist Elmer Lamson also died of COVID-19. As SORNA officers, Lee and Lamson played...
This report from the Federal Research Division at the Library of Congress presents an analysis of how states use risk assessments to determine aspects of offenders’ registration and notification requirements.
This report from the Federal Research Division at the Library of Congress...
For the past 10 years, the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) has been at the forefront of implementing effective practices to register and manage sex offenders.
This summer, we'll be recognizing the 10th anniversary of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. This legislation, named after the 6-year-old boy whose senseless murder led to increased public...
Ten tribes are participating in a new phase of the roll-out of the Tribal Access Program, a valuable tool available from the Department of Justice that improves public safety as it allows tribes to access and exchange criminal justice information. Launches have already occurred at Fort Peck, Makah and Standing Rock, and others are scheduled throughout the summer. The Attorney General recently highlighted TAP as...
There are many things to think about when planning a move to a new area and a new home: are the schools good, what will the taxes be, what will the commute be like, are there sex offenders nearby? Similar to finding out what the amenities or pitfalls are when you consider a new home, it's also good to locate where sex offenders live, work...
On July 27, 1981, 6-year-old Adam Walsh entered a Florida department store with his mother. He was abducted by a stranger, and his remains were found two weeks later. The tragedy of the young boy's murder—a brutal crime that was never brought to trial—shocked the nation. His devastated family and supporters channeled their grief and anger in a positive way―to protect other children from sexual...
Under the Adam Walsh Act, all federally recognized Indian tribes are entitled to elect whether to carry out the sex offender registration and notification requirements of the Act or delegate the functions to the state(s) in which the tribal land is located, unless the tribe is subject to the criminal jurisdiction of a state under 18 U.S.C. §...
The Sex Offender Registry Tool (SORT) is a sex offender management application provided to states and territories by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART). SORT helps states and territories to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act registry system requirements. Available at no cost, SORT was designed to make the sex offender registry system setup and maintenance process as efficient and effective as possible.
Review the YouTube Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy
The SMART Office has received and reviewed a tremendous amount of information and material from the States, territories, and the District of Columbia about their progress toward substantial implementation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), 42 U.S.C. § 16925(a) (Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006). To date, the SMART Office has received and reviewed full...
Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), created the first opportunity for federally recognized Indian tribes to be included in a nationwide sex offender registration and notification system. SORNA specifies, with some restrictions, that a federally recognized Indian tribe may, by resolution or other enactment of the tribal council or comparable...
Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), requires that jurisdictions share information within their jurisdictions as well as with other registration jurisdictions (see 34 U.S.C. § 20913 (c) and 34 U.S.C. § 20923 (b) (3)). Because of the unique nature of criminal justice coordination between states and tribes, collaboration is encouraged...
Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), requires that jurisdictions include in their registries a set of fingerprints and palm prints from each sex offender (see 34 U.S.C. § 20914(b)(5)). The National Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification specify that jurisdictions must maintain fingerprints and palm prints in digital format...
Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), specifically includes certain Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) convictions in its definition of "sex offense."
Department of Defense Instruction 1325.07 contains the specific list of UCMJ convictions that require registration under SORNA.1 Jurisdictions must ensure that all of the UCMJ convictions listed...
Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), requires that each jurisdiction's registry include "[t]he text of the provision of law defining a criminal offense for which the sex offender is registered" (see 34 U.S.C. § 20914 (b)(2)). The National Guidelines on Sex Offender Registration and Notification have since clarified this requirement...
Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), requires a conviction-based structure for sex offenders' registration and notification requirements. SORNA does not address the use of risk assessment tools for registration or notification purposes. Many jurisdictions currently use risk assessment processes for a variety of purposes. These include aiding in making release...
Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), requires that registration jurisdictions immediately provide any initial or updated information about a sex offender to entities that fall under specific categories (see 34 U.S.C. §20923(b)). Each category is addressed in turn below, with direction on how jurisdictions can substantially implement its terms...
Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), requires that a registered sex offender appear in person regularly to update certain registration information according to the following criteria (see 34 U.S.C. § 20918):
The Justice Department’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART) recently held its 2014 Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) Workshops Jan. 22-23 and Feb. 25-26, at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, S.C.
"Our primary mission is to help our state, tribal, and territorial partners meet their responsibilities for registering, tracking and notifying communities about sex offenders," said Acting...
The 2009 National Symposium on Sex Offender Management and Accountability was held April 21-23 in Houston, Texas, to provide jurisdictions with advanced training as they work towards implementation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. The Symposium offered nationally recognized expert speakers and panel presentations in all areas of sex offender management...
