Pennsylvania will use AWA funding to continue the recommended improvements envisioned by the PA sorna working group responsible for assuring megans law registration and verification efforts remain…

This $245,000 Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) will support the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) in enhancing the state's sex offender registration and notification system under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

Specifically, the funding will be used to: 1) Continue recommended improvements to Pennsylvania's SORNA compliance efforts, including offender compliance checks and absconder investigations by state law enforcement; 2) Conduct case reviews related to the Commonwealth v. Torsilieri case and other related cases; and 3) Provide continued resources for victim notification and education services delivered by the Pennsylvania Office of Victim Advocate. The award period is from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027.

Pennsylvania will use AWA funding to continue the recommended improvements envisioned by the PA sorna working group responsible for assuring megans law registration and verification efforts remain on track, and that enhancements/future improvements are formulated and implemented. Funding will also support: 1) law enforcement training for PA state police, offender compliance checks and absconder investigations, which promote offender accountability and community safety;2) case reviews as mandated by act 10 of 2018 and associated with the pending commonwealth V. Torsilieri case and other related cases; and 3) continued resources for victim notification and education provided by the PA office of victim advocate, which provides specialized criminal justice system services to victims who have been traumatized by the most serious sexual offenders.