Texas state laws on sex offenders - Essay Example

In addition, they need regularly to visit the registering authority to update the information on matters such as address change. Should one fail to register as a sex offender, they are liable for felony prosecution that could result in their being taken back to prison or having their parole revoked. The public can access these records through a variety of ways availed by the state of Texas, primary to this is a statewide database that maintains updated information on all registered sex offenders accessible to anyone freely at any time.

Members of the public can access the information herein through the website https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/soSearch/default.cfm . In addition, native law administration agencies in the Texas are by law mandated to have a sex offender registry with information on all the registered sex offenders in the area. Based on the nature of the crime, the laws in Texas allow authorities to publish some of the sex offender registration information on local newspapers (Schiavone and Elizabeth 681). Finally, should an individual categorized as a high-risk sexual offender move into an area, the authorities will be expected to notify the community by mailing everyone in it a postcard with the description of the individual and nature of the crime.

In 2011, the national, Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) was passed and states were required to expand their categories of sex offenders who are to include juveniles and adult offenders that committed certain crimes before the laws was passed (United States Congress). This law sets the minimum requirement that characterizes the offences and the way offenders should be classified and determines how long they should remain registered. States that refused to meet the requirements for the SORNA act would lose 10% of their Byne Law enforcement