Information on the Sex Offender Registry Act
The Sex Offender Registry and Notification Act (SORNA) was enacted to track the whereabouts of sex offenders in the United States. Under this act, persons convicted of sex crimes are required to register as sex offenders in their state. These registries inform families of where sex offenders live in their communities and aid law enforcement in identifying potential suspects who may have committed sex crimes in their jurisdiction.
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Definition of Sex Offender
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A sex offender is any person convicted of engaging in forcible sexual acts, including sex acts involving physical violence, threats of physical violence or rendering a person unconscious through violence or drugs. Juveniles over the age of 14 who are treated as adults and whose crimes are considered serious instances of sexual assault or conspiracy to commit sexual assault are also required to register as sex offenders.
Features
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SORNA requires sex offenders to provide personal identifying information to maintain a record of their whereabouts. Generally, a sex offender must provide his or her name or alias, email and instant message addresses, telephone numbers, social security number, home address or address of any abode where the sex offender resides, employment information, immigration information, date of birth, school and licensing information, fingerprints and a recent photograph, criminal history, driver's license or identification card and a DNA sample.
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Public Information
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Sex offender registries are available for public viewing. Sex offender websites contain the names, addresses, photographs, physical descriptions and vehicle license plate numbers and criminal offense information of sex offenders. Sex offender websites may not contain the identities of victims, personally identifying information, such as social security numbers or immigration document numbers and may not release information of criminal charges that did not result in a conviction.
Benefits
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The sex offender registry allows parents to protect their children based on the whereabouts of sex offenders. Parents can avoid residing in areas that have a high population of sex offenders and they can avoid sending their children to school in areas where sex offenders reside. Because photographs are contained in sex registries, people can recognize sex offenders if they encounter them in their communities. Another benefit to the sex offender registry is that law enforcement officials have access to sex offenders who may be involved in other sex crimes.
Considerations
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Although SORNA protects individuals and families from known sex offenders and offers considerable benefits to law enforcement, the registries are also responsible for measurable acts of violence against sex offenders. Sex offenders are often harassed and threatened because of their crimes and some have even been killed. The constant threat of being recognized and harassed has driven many sex offenders to suicide. Considering that some registered sex offenders may be innocent of their crimes, sex offender registries can cause considerable damage to individuals and families.
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References
- Photo Credit Justice image by MVit from Fotolia.com
