Jurisdictions Substantially Implement Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Justice Department's Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) today announced that Colorado and five federally recognized Indian tribes are the latest jurisdictions to substantially implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.
The Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma also were recently found to have met the criteria for substantial implementation of SORNA.
"I'm very pleased that so many tribes continue to make significant progress and am especially pleased to add Colorado to the list of states that have substantially implemented the provisions of SORNA," said Dawn Doran, Acting Director of the SMART Office. "Colorado is well known for their excellence in sex offender management efforts. We have worked together for several years to reach this point and look forward to a continued partnership."
"Colorado is committed to keeping the public safe," said Governor John Hickenlooper. "Complying with federal sex offender registration and notification requirements is a key factor for public safety. We are gratified that the state's efforts the past several years to achieve substantial compliance with the federal Sex Offender Registration Notification Act is now certified by the U.S. Department of Justice. This Act supports consistent accountability across state lines and nationally to more effectively protect the public."
Since the passage of SORNA, the Department has continuously assisted jurisdictions in implementing the Act in order to create a comprehensive national system for registering and tracking sex offenders. To date, 77 jurisdictions (17 states, three territories and 57 tribes) have substantially implemented SORNA.
In addition to Colorado, the States of Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming; and the territories of Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have substantially implemented SORNA.
A list of the 57 tribes that have substantially implemented SORNA can be found at: http://www.smart.gov/newsroom_jurisdictions_sorna.htm
The Act is named in memory of Adam Walsh, a 6-year-old boy, who was abducted and murdered in Hollywood, Fla. on July 27, 1981. It was signed into law exactly 25 years later.
The Office of Justice Programs, headed by Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has six components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking.
SOURCE Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
Share this article