Governor Jim Doyle today announced that Wisconsin has earned a grade of “A” in a new national survey of all 50 states’ sex offender registries and community notification programs. Parents for Megan’s Law, a leading community and victims’ rights advocacy group, named Wisconsin one of only two states in the “A” category in the survey.

“Wisconsin is leading the country in the work being done to keep Wisconsin’s neighborhoods safe through new legislation and the SAFE initiative I announced last year,” Governor Doyle said. “We have had great success tracking down sex offenders, but we must remain vigilant, and keep improving our system.”

Announced in September 2005, the Sex Offender Apprehension and Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Initiative involves state, local, and federal partners focused on keeping kids safe by holding sex offenders accountable for their actions, preventing them from becoming anonymous in our communities, and apprehending and prosecuting those sex offenders who fail to notify authorities of their whereabouts, as required by law.

“Through the Governor’s SAFE Initiative, we are strengthening our partnerships between the Department of Corrections and law enforcement agencies, as well as with communities throughout the state,” Corrections Secretary Matt Frank said. “It is important that we are working together to do everything that we can to keep our kids and our neighborhoods safe.”

The 2006 report card by Parents for Megan’s Law reviewed registration periods, accessibility of sex offender registration information, extent of information available and national participation in civil commitment laws.

Laura A. Ahearn, Executive Director of Parents For Megan’s Law applauded Governor Doyle and the Wisconsin Legislature for their unwavering commitment to keeping children and communities safe from sexual predators.

“Wisconsin’s initiatives have surpassed minimal federal standards and should serve as a nationwide model for protecting our most vulnerable,” Ahearn said.

Wisconsin scored high for exceeding minimum standards for its Sex Offender Registry, for uniformity in making information available to the public on all adult sex offender registrants, and for its law allowing law enforcement to provide information about juvenile sex offenders residing in local communities, a measure that Governor Doyle signed in May 2005 titled “Amie’s Law.”

In addition, complete residential address information for offenders became available on the Sex Offender Registry Internet site for the first time as of Dec. 1, 2005, as part of the SAFE Initiative, with additional Web enhancements in the planning stages.

More about Governor Doyle’s SAFE Initiative can be found at: