In response to input from advocates and others around the country, the SMART office (it’s an acronym for an office created following approval of the Adam Walsh Act!) had modified its guidelines to permit states discretion to exempt information concerning sex offenders required to register on the basis of juvenile delinquency adjudications from public web-site postings. So, although registration requirements remain pretty much the same, this at least appears to allow Wisconsin some discretion on whether to include some youthful offenders on a registry that is then open to the public. We continue to express our concern that blanket decisions about making youthful offenders names available to the public serve neither to protect the public nor to assist youthful offenders in becoming positive, contributing members of our communities. So, we urge the Department of Corrections to propose rules and procedures that take advantage of this new-found flexibility and resist a one-size-fits-all registration/disclosure system for youthful sex offenders.
Early Care & Education: Supporting Wisconsin Families During Children’s Early Years
Regardless of race, place, or income, every child in Wisconsin deserves a strong start in life. This early foundation plays a critical role in life-long health and wellness. But systemic racism and poverty destabilizes families and communities and creates unhealthy conditions and barriers that harm children in their early development. This process of destabilization not only prevents children from having a strong start but can persist over the course of their lives.