State-of-the-art technology proves accurate and easy to use

Indianapolis (January 20, 2006) ? Indiana residents will easily be able to track the whereabouts of registered sex offenders with a single, state-of-the-art public Web site. Governor Mitch Daniels, Department of Correction Commissioner J. David Donahue, Indiana Sheriffs? Association officials and other state officials today demonstrated the new Indiana Sheriffs? Sex Offender Registry, which will become available on January 23 (Monday).

The Web-based program, www.indianasheriffs.org, may be searched by offender or by city, county or zip code. The site maps the location of the offender and provides an offender profile, which includes home and work address, conviction information and a photograph. The governor announced in October that the state would consolidate two public and one law enforcement databases into one system to provide better information to Hoosiers.

?We?ve cleaned up and modernized a hodgepodge into one, user-friendly system, but we still need our sheriffs to keep the data as current as possible, and we need additional protections against predators from this legislative session,? said Daniels.

The governor endorsed Senator David Long?s proposed legislation to require even more tracking of offenders as well as mandatory treatment of those in correctional facilities.

Senate Bill 12 would require sex offenders to register earlier and provide information about where they work or attend school, in addition to their county of residence. The bill also would require mandatory treatment for sex offenders sentenced to the Department of Correction. That treatment now is voluntary.

The new Web site provides information about offenders convicted of rape, child molestation, sexual misconduct with a minor, incest, criminal confinement and similar crimes, who currently are required to register with the sheriff's department in the county where they intend to live, work or study. The registered information is made available to the public through the new site.

?Hoosiers have new insight into those living near them and their families,? said Donahue. ?Using state-of-the-art mapping technology and detailed offender information, Indiana residents can now monitor the location of registered sex offenders living in their neighborhoods. This joint partnership allows us to provide a single public window to keep track of offenders as they move across the state.?

Another new feature, which will be administered by the Attorney General?s Office, will allow program users to pre-register for e-mail notification when registered sex offenders move nearby. That function is expected to be active soon.

?The notification function of the registry brings public information directly to Hoosiers, giving people one more layer of protection for their families and loved ones,? said Attorney General Steve Carter. ?The collaborative effort of this project is to be commended for the ultimate goal of providing better services to citizens.?

The new Web site also links with the National Sex Offender Public Registry, operated by the U.S. Department of Justice. This is a cooperative effort between the state agencies hosting public sex offender registries and the federal government.

More than 400 sheriffs? office personnel were trained on the new registry during the last month. Sheriffs across the state will maintain the critical offender records.

"In the past 90 days the Indiana Sheriffs? Association has worked with Governor Daniels, Indiana Department of Correction, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, Attorney General's Office, Indiana State Police and Appriss, Inc. to develop a more comprehensive sex offender registry Web site that provides mapping and other enhancements,? said Michael Eslinger, executive director of the Indiana Sheriffs? Association. ?We believe the Web site will be more user friendly. It is important the sex offender registry be the best it can be to ensure the safety of our children and other victims.?

In addition to Correction, the sheriffs? association and the Attorney General, the Indiana State Police and Criminal Justice Institute also have partnered on the project.

?The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) is pleased to provide the necessary funding to ensure that Indiana's new Sex Offender Registry is an effective tool in protecting the public," said Heather Bolejack, CJI executive director. "We are also providing a guide of frequently asked questions and contact information to help during the transition."