Sex offenders

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...

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...

It's been a decade since the passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, enacted in memory of the 6-year-old boy whose brutal murder brought national attention to the dangers posed by child predators and other violent offenders.

We've come a long way over those 10 years in meeting the complex challenges of sex offender management and building a comprehensive...

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...

As many recent high school graduates begin preparing to leave for college, they and their parents are likely thinking about on-campus safety. Specifically, they might have questions about their prospective school's efforts to prevent sexual assault on campus. Media coverage focusing on trends in sexual assault and thematic issues like victim-blaming has heightened awareness of this problem. And research continues to reveal the extent to...

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase "sex offender"? We know that sex offenders, like the general criminal population, are not a monolithic group. Some sex offenders are pedophiles, some act out in response to their own abuse and some commit these crimes as part of an overall criminal lifestyle. While some may reoffend regardless of criminal justice intervention, some respond well to...

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...

In March, the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking welcomed a new Director, Kendel Ehrlich. She previously served as the Deputy Director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy. In that position, Kendel specialized in external communications combatting the opioid crisis with particular emphasis on ONDCP's High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas and Drug-Free Communities programs.

Prior to joining the...

The SMART Office announces the addition of two new staff to its team: Victoria Jolicoeur and Yahya Fouz.

Victoria Jolicoeur is a Program Specialist in the SMART Office. Ms. Jolicoeur manages SMART Office grant programs, including the Adam Walsh Implementation Act grant program. In addition to managing grants, she also works closely with policy advisors to assist States with the implementation of the Sex Offender...

In 2008, the SMART Office established the International Tracking of Sex Offenders Working Group (IWG) to track registered sex offenders who enter and depart the United States. More than 25 IWG member agencies and offices are working to create this comprehensive tracking system, including representatives from the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, State, Defense, and Justice. The tracking system proposed by IWG is fully described...

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 sex offenders register in any jurisdiction where they live, work or go to school (see 34 U.S.C. § 20913 (a)).

There are a number of Indian tribes that are SORNA registration jurisdictions and, in some instances, the geographical apportionment of tribal lands...

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...