The U.S. Department of Justice SMART Office Grant for National Sex Offender Public Website Maintenance and Operations

Over the past two decades, state and local jurisdictions have implemented various strategies and tools aimed at managing sex offenders in the community. The federal government has played a significant role in this area by enacting legislation requiring states, territories and certain tribes to establish sex offender registration and notification programs. A critical component of sex offender registration and notification is the dissemination of sex offender data to the public through the operation of a public website. In 2005, the U.S. Department of Justice recognized the need to provide the public and law enforcement with a single point of access to public sex offender websites. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 renamed the National Sex Offender Public Registry to the National Sex Offender Public Website and codified that the Attorney General shall maintain the site. NSOPW meets this need by linking public state, territory and tribal sex offender registries to one national search site. The Adam Walsh Act further required that the Department of Justice develop software to allow jurisdictions to track and share information regarding sex offenders. The SORNA Exchange Portal meets this need by maintaining a secure information exchange portal for all SORNA jurisdictions.

The technology supporting NSOPW uses web services and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Global Justice XML common computer language to establish a link between already-built and maintained public state, territory and tribal sex offender registries. The link then allows data from different hardware and software systems to be recognized and shown through the national search site. Since 2005, there have been over 42 billion visits to the National Sex Offender Public Website with an average of 15,465 visits per day.

The SMART Office is requesting applications to manage NSOPW for a 24-month project period with the possibility of continuation funding for up to 24 additional months.

During the project period, the successful applicant will be required to consult with the SMART Office which will provide guidance and input on web site content, appearance, and functionality, and technical assistance tools such as brochures and publications, as well as written materials such as fact sheets and training materials and provide logistical support.

The successful applicant will need to demonstrate cultural competencies in working with Indian Country. The applicant will need to understand the rich diversity of tribal people and the importance of self-determination and sovereignty when working with tribal jurisdictions. The successful applicant must demonstrate an understanding for providing support and guidance to tribes for the purpose of information sharing.

The successful applicant must demonstrate an understanding of the importance of information sharing between SORNA jurisdictions about relocating sex offenders and the need for continued improvement in this area through the continued development or refinement of tools such as the SORNA Exchange Portal. The applicant must have experience in facilitating an advisory working group dedicated to criminal justice data information sharing.

Please note that successful applicant may not:

• Retain any data for any purpose beyond the end of the project period, except as instructed to facilitate transition to another provider;

• Provide any data collected as part of the operation of NSOPW, the Tribe and Territory Sex Offender Registry System (TTSORS), or the Exchange Portal to any other agency besides the submitting agency unless such communication is initiated by the submitting agency via SORNA exchange portal;

• Charge any agency for any use of NSOPW, TTSORS or the Exchange Portal

• Sell, or use any data collected as part of the operations of NSOPW, TTSORS, or the Exchange Portal for any commercial purpose or any unauthorized purpose

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

The grantee will conduct the following, at a minimum:

• Support all hosting, maintenance, and operation of NSOPW, including hosting a backup site at a separate location. The grantee must comply with all U.S. Department of Justice security requirements.

• Maintain and operate a secure communication system (known as the Exchange Portal) between SORNA jurisdiction registry managers for the purpose of information sharing. Uses include the ability to send e-mail, a discussion area, chat capabilities, and transfer of files.

• Ensure that NSOPW remains in full compliance with applicable provisions of SORNA and complies with any subsequent legislation that impacts its operation.

• Assist jurisdictions with the implementation of web services used to share data through NSOPW.

• Make changes to NSOPW within four hours of a request—without additional costs—as part of the maintenance portion of the project.

• Provide statistics to SMART on the use of NSOPW and the Exchange Portal on a monthly basis and have the capability to provide specific information within 2-hours notice.

• Provide auditing and monitoring tools to SORNA registration jurisdictions and to SMART, and participate in auditing and monitoring activities as requested by the SMART Office.

• Provide continuous monitoring of all connections to NSOPW and make contact with the connection site(s) to remedy any malfunctions within a 24-hour period.

• Answer questions sent to the “Webmaster” from the general public and from SORNA jurisdictions or as directed through the SMART office for NSOPW within 24 hours. The technical responses shall be based on the ability to recreate the situation as described in the correspondence. The procedural and policy responses shall be based on communication with the individual jurisdiction or agency involved in the query. On average, NSOPW receives three to five inquiries a day, ranging in complexity and length of response.

• Maintain and operate the Tribe and Territory Sex Offender Registry System (TTSORS).
TTSORS is the registry system provided free of charge by the Department of Justice to assist tribes and territories with implementing SORNA registry system requirements. TTSORS management and update access is restricted to only tribe and territory agencies responsible for the management and registration of sex offenders. TTSORS serves two purposes, which is to function as an administrative registry system and as the public sex offender registry web site system for jurisdictions. Jurisdictions, who are TTSORS users, will have the ability with their registry system to provide community notifications; email address and telephone number search; and collect all offender information required by SORNA.

• Develop and implement enhancements for NSOPW, the Exchange Portal and TTSORS necessary to remain current with advanced technologies.

• Provide training and technical assistance to states, territories and tribes related to participation in NSOPW, the Exchange Portal and TTSORS.

• Participate in SMART national trainings and conferences, providing individual and group session support.

Applicants should note that the SMART Office may modify the project scope during the project period to address emerging needs that impact the operation of NSOPW, the Exchange Portal and TTSORS.