This application will allow the state to adhere to the Sex Offender Registation Notification Act penalty that is attached to the Bryne- JAG allocation.

For the FY 2023 allocation, the NCSBI is requesting funds to support new programming initiatives, which will support the state’s offender registry, as well as user training for SORNA Stakeholders.  North Carolina sheriffs’ office personnel register offenders and will oversee investigations of offenders in the Bureau’s absconder initiative (SORCA).  Victims of crime readily access the registry to research up to date information regarding their offenders.  The goal of this initiative will be to bring North Carolina closer to SORNA compliance by collecting and sharing more information about registered sex offenders, to the extent allowable by North Carolina law.  The user training will assist with SORNA compliance by teaching the sheriffs’ office personnel on how to best utilize the system to identify individuals who are required to register but have not, as well as assist in locating absconders.  This will allow law enforcement to ensure persons who should be registered have done so, while providing more information to the public about the exact whereabouts of offenders.

The SORNA Project Team at the NCSBI proposes to use $62,831 in federal SORNA grant funds to host a series of training events for SORNA stakeholders, plus another $267,912 to support registry programming costs.  The user trainings will provide SORNA users and other partners with tools needed to access the registry and enter information, where appropriate, on registered offenders.  The programming funds will support contractual services required to upgrade registry enhancements as they are approved by our state’s General Assembly.  If successful, this project will help to ensure that the information being entered into our state’s registry will remain robust and reliable, pursuant to federal SORNA regulations.