Over the last several decades Missouri, like other states all across the country, has developed a method by which it tracks people convicted of crimes of a sexual nature. This is often referred to as the sex offender registry program. One of the key elements of this program is that every person must register as a sex offender with authorities and maintain updated information at all times.
The Missouri Highway Patrol website allows members of the public to access the registry and even to view a map identifying the locations where a registered offender may live, work or attend school. One reason for this is to allow people to make choices about where they may want to live or work or where they would allow their children to be.
The state’s approach to managing the sex offender registry program underwent a rather significant change late last summer after a new law was passed. The previous law took what some may call a one-size-fits-all approach to the requirement to register. Every person convicted of any type of sex crime had to participate in the program for life, regardless of the severity of their offenses.
MissouriNet.com reports that the new law followed federal standards that outlined different levels of offenses ranging from one to three with one being the least serious. Level one and level two offenders may now have the ability to request removal from the registry program after 10 or 25 years, respectively, assuming they have not been convicted of any subsequent offenses.
