DISCARD SORNA
THE PROBLEM
Sex offender registries are unconstitutional because they are a punative punishment with no due process
Registries are built upon “stranger danger” when 9 out of 10 victims know their abuser
There is absolutely no emperical data or evidence sex offender registries prevent sexual assaults
THE SOLUTION
Many states are not compliant with SORNA. Wyoming had a better system in place before the federal government passed SORNA. Wyoming should not allow the federal government to dictate policy. We can do it better. Wyoming should disregard SORNA and craft a better registry.
ANALYSIS
Sex offender registries have been around for a while and the implementation of them by states varied greatly. In 2006, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act created SORNA which is the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The aim was to set a minimum set of registry standards for states to follow.
If a state is not in substantial compliance with SORNA, the state receives a ten percent loss of funding from the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. In 2022, DCI requested a JAG grant of $534,000 to assist in funding their law enforcement activities in Wyoming. A ten percent deduction would amount to just over $50,000.
Only 18 or 19 states, including Wyoming, are currently substantially compliant with SORNA. Many western states have rejected SORNA, which include: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Texas. While public safety is one of the foremost and important responsibilities of the government, we cannot allow non-violent offenders who served their time and present no public safety risk to forego and sacrifice their rights to protect society from those who are truly dangerous.
Wyoming had a better system before we bent our knee to the federal government and allowed them to dictate changes to our registry system. The federal government often excels at screwing something up. That is what happened with SORNA. It was poorly designed; it has been shown to not work and Congress has done nothing to make necessary changes to improve it. Wyoming does not have to comply with SORNA and only does so now by choice.
There are people among us who are dangerous and irreprehensible. The most dangerous and high-risk offenders need longer prison sentences, much longer probation sentences and more stringent registration requirements. Those who are not dangerous violent offenders should have substabtially less requirements.