The legislation was a direct result of the governor's SORN Task Force and other recommendations to increase the effectiveness of Ohio's sex offender law and maintain compliance with federal registration and notification.
In preparation for implementation of specific components of the new law, the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) is partnering with the Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association to create searchable sex offender Web sites for the 49 Sheriff's Offices currently without sites or the technology to host them. The Web site design will allow instant community access to information regarding registered sex offenders living in their area. While each sheriff's office will have its own SORN site, plans include linking the databases for a single statewide search on any sex offender in Ohio. With justice technology and funding provided by OCJS, all of Ohio's 88 Sheriffs will have searchable, online SORN registries by Fall of 2003.
In addition to providing communities with access to SORN information, Senate Bill 5 updates and strengthens Ohio's Megan's Law by:
Creating a category of child-victim offenses and two new offender types: the "habitual child-victim oriented offender" and "child-victim predator" for crimes involving children where sexual assault is not alleged;
Establishing an Internet database of all sex offenders, requiring the state to create a system law enforcement can use to search for a wide variety of information on offenders including work place, license plate, and fingerprints, and
Barring a person convicted of a sex offense from living within 1,000 feet of a school.
OCJS is the lead justice planning and assistance agency for the state. Through its research, technology, grants administration and programmatic initiatives, OCJS serves agencies and communities committed to reducing and preventing crime across Ohio. OCJS administers over $30 million dollars in state and federal criminal justice assistance every year; identifies justice issues; evaluates programs, and develops technology, training and products for criminal justice professionals, victims and communities.
