Tennessee Sex Offender Registry File Digitization and Training Project

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (AWA) (Pub. L. 109-248, 42 U.S.C. § 16901, et seq) authorizes the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) to administer sex offender management grants. These grants assist state, local and tribal jurisdictions in implementing and/or enhancing sex offender registration and notification programs that support compliance with Title I of the AWA, known as the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). SORNA was enacted to protect the public from convicted sex offenders and offenders against children by establishing a comprehensive national system for the registration of those offenders.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation(TBI) will utilize grant funds to enhance its goal of substantial implementation of SORNA by implementing a digital document conversion project. All State of Tennessee sex offender files will be scanned to digital format. The TBI will also develop SORNA/ Sex Offender Registry Training to be offered in major cities statewide to all agencies in Tennessee that deal with sex offenders and the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry (SOR). This training will focus on SORNA requirements and compliance for Tennessee, enforcement of state and federal SOR and offender compliance laws, and Tennessee SOR software (including digitization).

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