Currently 3 territories, 63 tribes, and 17 states have adopted SORNA (Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.) Many people feel enhancing Megan’s law with SORNA is a big step in the right direction for making our Country a safer place. Others feel that the punishments are too severe for sex offenders.

It’s true that having SORNA actively enforced means convicted sexual offenders and pedophiles will have very little privacy. Some people feel that this isn’t enough of a punishment for sex offenders; others feel that convicted Sex Offenders deserve the same amount of privacy as those who haven’t committed these crimes. They also believe that several people who are registered sex offenders shouldn’t be required to have their sentenced increased.  Right now, convicted sex offenders rarely get up to 15 years in prison.

So, what exactly does SORNA entail? Are that many changes being made in the American legal system? Why are children and human rights activist’s making this such a big ordeal? And why are many criminal defense attorneys against enhancing child protective laws?

SORNA:

• Expands the amount of information regarding sexual offenders’ personal details known to the public, such as place of work, school, residence, family, etc.
• Expands the information known to the public regarding the sex offenders’ crimes, including rape, abuse, time of crime, age of victim, and weapon used.
• Increases sentencing for convicted sex offenders, including those who have already served much of their time.
• Requires registered sex offenders to make in-prison appearances to verify and update their registration information.
• Requires registration for a larger group of sex offenders and sex offenses.
• Is the first title of The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.

It must have taken a great amount of work to have this in-depth bill passed. If this is only Title One of Adam’s Walsh’s Law, another victim of a ruthless child murder— imagine how powerful the entire bill is.