New and Improved Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website

Since its debut in 2005, more than 17 million parents, employers, and other concerned members of the public have accessed the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) to identify registered sex offenders not only in their own neighborhoods, but in other communities and states, as well. As a secure and reliable national search site, NSOPW continues to be a crucial resource to safeguard the public against sex offenders and promote safety and security in communities across the country.

The web site, initially known as the National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR), was established in 2005. It was renamed the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website in 2006 by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act to more accurately reflect its purpose and to honor 22-year-old college student Dru Sjodin of Grand Forks, North Dakota, who was kidnapped and murdered on November 22, 2003, by a sex offender who crossed state lines to commit his crime. In accordance with the new name, the domain name has been changed to www.nsopw.gov.

Because NSOPW is a vital component of public safety, it is imperative that the web site include the most up-to-date information and technological features available. Since NSOPW was launched 3 years ago, web site development, design, and functionality has improved. Accordingly, the SMART Office, in conjunction with the Institute for Intergovernmental Research, recently redesigned NSOPW to ensure its continued success. On December 1, 2008, a new version of NSOPW, along with its new domain name, was launched with several improvements and enhancements (see press release). The web site includes:

• Improved navigation. NSOPW has better graphics and an improved navigation system that provides a more user-friendly experience.

• Improved search features. Realizing that NSOPW's search capabilities are paramount to its success, an assessment was made of how most people use the site to search for information. In response to those findings, improved "standard" and "advanced" search options were implemented that are more consistent with the way that searches are conducted on NSOPW. These improved features provide a more streamlined search, producing relevant results more rapidly.

• Frequently Asked Questions. Answers to commonly posed questions are now available on the Frequently Asked Questions page of the web site.

• Links to participating jurisdictions' registry web sites. Providing these links allows users to easily access a specific jurisdiction for additional information.

The web site will continue to be enhanced as more jurisdictions sign on and as they work to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), thereby increasing the amount of information provided to NSOPW and ultimately to the public.