The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), U.S. Department of Justice, established the National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) Assistance Program to help the states comply with sex offender registration and community notification requirements instituted by the federal government. The NSOR Assistance Program is being handled through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP). 

Background

Beginning in 1994, Congress enacted three statutes that collectively required states to establish or strengthen programs to keep track of sex offenders. The Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act required states to register sex offenders to alert law enforcement of their presence in the community. The federal version of "Megan’s Law brief" see also Megan’s Law "Citizens Guide" and the Pam Lychner Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act required states to implement programs designed to notify members of the public when convicted sex offenders are released into their communities. (The Lychner Act also required the creation of a national sex offender registry.)

Many states have turned to the Internet to comply with the federal notification mandates. Other states - Arkansas and Massachusetts, for example - do not list sex offenders online but do use the Internet to provide instructions on how to obtain information on offenders. In some states, local law enforcement agencies have taken to the Internet to provide information on sex offenders in their jurisdictions. In a few states, sex offender information was placed on the Internet by private organizations. Information on state-maintained sex offender Web sites is accessible through the links below.

Index State Sex Offender Registry Websites

Summary of State Sex Offender Registries Dissemination and Procedures: Update 1999

Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim, Incident and Offender Characteristics This Bureau of Justice Statistics report presents findings from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) regarding sexual assault, especially of young children.