New Mexico:SORNA and Current Laws

Lori McPhersonSenior Policy Advisor

SMART Office202-353-3591

lori.mcpherson@usdoj.govSanta Fe, New Mexico

January 14, 2010

The SMART Office

Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring,

Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

SORNA• Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act• Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and

Safety Act• Passed July 27, 2006• 42 U.S.C. § 16901 et. seq.• 18 USC § 2250• Designed to create a national set of standards

to eliminate loopholes and gaps in existing registry systems

National Sex Offender ‘Registries’

• National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW)– Operated and maintained by the SMART

Office– www.nsopw.gov – Search Engine

• National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR)– Operated and maintained by the FBI– Subfolder of NCIC (ORI Number)– Law Enforcement Only– Actual Database

SORNA Categories

1. Immediate Transfer of Information2. Included Offenses3. Duration/Frequency of Registration4. Required Registration Information5. Initial Registration6. Retroactive Application7. In-Person Appearances8. Public Registry Website9. Community Notification

1. Immediate Transfer of Information

• SORNA:–Within 3 Days to any other jurisdiction

where the offender is required to register

• New Mexico:– Compliance with NCIC/NSOR Audit

Standards will meet this requirement

2. Included Offenses

• SORNA:– State, Territory, Tribal, Federal, Military &

Foreign Sex Offenses

• New Mexico:– Only misses foreign offenses

3. Duration/Frequency of Registration

• SORNA:– 3 Tiers

• New Mexico:– 2 Tiers– See Tiering evaluation

Inclusion of Offenses &Tiering

• If New Mexico implemented SORNA– 6 Offenses would be added• 5 involving child sexual exploitation• Video Voyeurism

– 2 Offenses would rise from 10 years to 15– 1 Offense would rise from 10 years to 25– 4 Offenses would drop from life to 25 years– 4 Offenses would drop from life to 15 years

4. Required Registration Information• SORNA:– 22 items required

• New Mexico:– Registers 18 of them

5. Initial Registration

• SORNA:–Within 3 Days

• New Mexico:–Within 10 Days

6. Retroactive Application

• SORNA:– Retroactive

• New Mexico:– Retroactive (State v. Druktenis, 135 N.M.

223 (Ct. App. 2004))

7. In-Person Appearances

• SORNA:– Regular check-ins

– Certain information for immediate updating

• New Mexico:– Regular check-ins

– Immediate updating may be done in writing

8. Public Registry Website

• SORNA:– All sex offenders except:• Juveniles adjudicated delinquent• Misdemeanor offenses with adult victims

• New Mexico:– Only 5 sex offenses require posting

9. Community Notification

• Law Enforcement– NSOR– Probation/Parole

• General Public– Day care agencies– Schools– Any interested party

9. Community Notification

• SORNA:– On all sex offenders displayed on public

website (generally)– No distance limit for updates

• New Mexico:– Only for those convicted of 5 sex offenses– email notification enabled

New Mexico’s Main Issues

1. Tiering• Could balance out numerically once done

2. Timing of registration• Tighten up from 10 to 3 days, or more if

necessary for practical reasons

3. Posting of registrants on website• To enable community notification

functions

Contact Us Any Time!

SMART Office

U.S. Department of Justice/OJP

202-514-4689

getsmart@usdoj.gov

www.ojp.gov/smart