Sexual Offender Community Notification

The Sex Offender Community Notification (SOCN) Unit is a program of the Rhode Island Parole Board. This Unit provides support related to sex offender community notification under the Rhode Island Sexual Offender Registration and Community Notification Act (the "Act"). The SOCN Unit supports the work of the Rhode Island Parole Board and the Rhode Island Sex Offender Board of Review, and corollary support to the Department of Corrections, the RI Sex Offender Registry, local and state police, and the public.

Under the Act, some criminal convictions may require sexual offender registration or community notification, or both. Local police distribute community notification for those persons who are living or working in Rhode Island and who have been convicted in Rhode Island or another jurisdiction of an eligible sex offense committed on or after July 24, 1996. A conviction is defined very broadly under the Act and community notification may impact eligible persons who are residing, working, volunteering, or attending school full-time in the state.

The scope or the degree of community notification that police make for a particular offender is determined by the risk for recidivism assigned to that offender. Risk levels are assigned by the Sex Offender Board of Review (SOBOR). This Board reviews institutional and other documents and information, risk-assessment tool(s), and utilizes a structured professional judgment approach to determine risk. Once the SOBOR assigns a risk level, local police then distribute community notification information based on Community Notification Guidelines issued and published by the Parole Board. This could include posting to the state sex offender public website. Guidelines are available on this site.

There are three (3) levels of risk/notification under the Act: 

Level I – Low Risk.  Notification made to other law enforcement only. Victims and case witnesses may receive notification upon request to police.

Level II – Moderate Risk.  Notification made to other law enforcement and agencies likely to encounter the offender, plus posting to the public website for adult offenders. Victims and case witnesses may receive notification upon request to police.

Level III – High Risk.  Notification made to other law enforcement and individuals and agencies likely to encounter the offender, plus posting to the public website for adult offenders. Victims and case witnesses may receive notification upon request to police.

Sex Offender Board of Review

The Sex Offender Board of Review (SOBOR) is an eight-member board, appointed by the Governor, charged with assessing and assigning a risk of sexual recidivism for sex offenders in the community. The Board members include experts in the field of the behavior and treatment of sexual offenders by reason of training and experience, victim's rights advocates, and law enforcement representatives.

Current Board Members:

  • Bonita G. Cade, PhD, JD
  • Major Alyssa DeAndrade, JD, MPA, Providence Police Department
  • Sarah C. DeCataldo, MS
  • Jason C. Lyon, LICSW
  • Detective Corporal Brian Macera, RI State Police
  • Jessica Nash, LCSW, RI Department of Children, Youth & Families
  • Marlene Roberti, MPA
  • JoAnne Waite, LMFT

 

Sex Offender Registration

The Rhode Island Sex Offender Registry is managed by the Rhode Island State Police. For information related to sex offender registration, resources, or to search offenders in Rhode Island, visit their Rhode Island Sex Offender Registry.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Information related to persons registered as sex offenders can be found on the RI Sex Offender Registry Website Sex Offenders- Rhode Island -State Police (ri.gov)

Keep in mind that persons who must register as a sex offender are convicted of an eligible sex offense on or after 7/1/1992. Because of changes in the law at different times, not everyone who is registered as a sex offenders is subject to community notification by police; and the sex offender registry is NOT exhaustive of all sex offenders in the community.

Registration and Risk Level for Community Notification are two different things. Sex Offender Risk Levels represent an offender’s risk of re-offense as established by the SOBOR. There are three risk levels created by statute which dictate the scope of community notification that will take place.

Level I- Risk Level I is a sexual offender whose risk assessment indicates a low risk of re-offense.

Level II- Risk Level II is a sexual offender whose risk assessment indicates a moderate risk of re-offense.

Level III – Risk Level III is a sexual offender whose risk assessment indicates a high risk of re-offense.

Prior to being reviewed by the SOBOR, Offenders are contacted by an Investigator from the Sex Offender Community Notification Unit. At that time, Offenders can participate in a voluntary interview, provide a statement, or submit information to the SOBOR.

Following review of the Sex Offender Board of Review, offenders are noticed via certified mail of their risk level designation. Offenders designated as Level II or Level III have the right to appeal the Board’s decision within ten (10) business days and the directions for filing are detailed on the decision letter.

If an offender, who is statutorily required to be posted to the state public website, dies and sufficient proof of death or suggestion of death is provided to the Sexual Offender Community Notification Unit (SOCN Unit) (or its successor) then the public listing shall be removed; OR if the period during which an offender is required to register expires, then the public listing shall be removed.

Sex Offender Registration and the public website are managed by the RI State Police, they can be contacted at:

Rhode Island Sex Offender Registry

311 Danielson Pike

North Scituate, RI 02857

Telephone: (401) 764-5900

Email: risor@risp.gov

If you have questions related to Sex Offender Community Notification, please contact us.

 

Sex Offender Community Supervision

Under RI Law §13-8-30, persons who commit and are convicted of 1st or 2nd degree child molestation on or after 1/1/1999 are subject to community supervision after the expiration of their court-imposed sentence. (This is different than sex offender community notification). In community supervision cases, the Parole Board sits as the Community Supervision Board to set conditions for these cases. Persons under community supervision are supervised in the community by a RI DOC Probation & Parole officer as if on parole.