Justice Department launches sex offender registry News
Justice Department launches sex offender registry

[JURIST] The US Department of Justice [official website] launched a national online registry of sex offenders [official website] on Wednesday, compiling individual state databases into one location. The registry, which provides photographs and information such as how close offenders are to schools, enables the public to track the locations of thousands of sex offenders across the country over the internet. Courts recently rejected challenges in Massachusetts, California, and Michigan [JURIST reports] that such databases were unconstitutional. Data from 22 states is currently available, with the rest expected to be added by the end of the year. USA Today has more.