Mississippi Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification

Mississippi

updated 7/7/06

Contact Person:

Lt. Colonel David Shaw, Director, MS Bureau of Investigation.
Email: dshaw@mdps.state.ms.us
Phone: 601.987.1560
MSOR Hotline: 601.368.1740

Offenders Required to Register:

Any person residing in Mississippi, who has been convicted, acquitted by reason of insanity or twice adjudicated delinquent for any covered sex offense or attempted sex offense.

Information Collected:

• Name, including a former name which has been legally changed;

• Street address of permanent and temporary residences in or out of state;

• Place and date of employment;

• Crime for which convicted; date and place of conviction, adjudication or acquittal by reason of insanity;

• Aliases and scars, marks and tattoos;

• Social Security number;

• Date and place of birth;

• Age, race, sex, height, weight and hair and eye color;

• Description of the offense or offenses for which registration is required;

• Photograph, fingerprints, and biological sample;

• Name/status at any public/private educational, trade or professional institution at which offender is employed, has a vocation, or is enrolled as a student;

• Vehicle make, model, color and license tag number;

• Identification of vessel or motor vehicle or trailer used as residence, and

• Other information deemed necessary.

Offender cannot reside within 1500 feet of real property comprising a public/nonpublic elementary or secondary school or child care facility; however certain exceptions are provided in the law.

Administrating Agency:

Mississippi Department of Public Safety (MDPS) and county sheriffs

Timeframe for Registration:

Registration is two-part process:

Register with the MS Dept. of Corrections at time of release from incarceration or with the sheriff of the county of residence within three (3) days of judgment if not incarcerated, detained or committed. (Other agencies may be responsible for registering offenders in specific cases.)
The person is further required to report in person to a MDPS driver’s license station within ten (10) days of registering with the responsible agency to complete the registration process and be issued a sex offender card.

An offender moving into MS must notify MDPS 10 days before residing in a county in this state. The offender must register with the sheriff and MDPS within 10 days of first residing in or returning to MS as described above.

Applies to Out of State Offenders:

Persons convicted in other states or jurisdictions for an offense that is registrable in MS must register upon relocating into MS. Also, any persons that are required to register in another state or jurisdiction are required to register with MDPS upon relocating into MS, even if the offense is not registrable in MS.

Offenders that move out of the state of MS remain on the Registry even after the registrant moves to another jurisdiction and registers in the new jurisdiction as required by law. The law requires the Registry to note that the registrant moved out of state.

Duration of Requirement:

Lifetime Registration. Persons convicted of some registrable offenses can petition for relief from the duty to register after 10 years of maintaining their registration in MS. Registration in any other jurisdiction or state does not reduce the ten-year minimum requirement. Re-incarceration for any offense will restart the ten-year minimum registration period.

The following offenses require lifetime registration:

• rape

• rape and assault with intent to ravish

• sexual battery

• exploitation of children (as specified in MCA Sections 97-5-33 (iv)(1) or (2))

• carnal knowledge of a stepchild, adopted child or child of a cohabiting partner

• any conviction for violation of a similar law of another jurisdiction or designation as a sexual predator in another jurisdiction

• an offender, twenty-one (21) years of age or older, who is convicted of any sex offense where the victim was fourteen (14) years of age or younger (effective July 1, 2006)

• an offender twice adjudicated delinquent in a youth court for the crime of rape or sexual battery

• an offender who has two (2) separate convictions for any of the offenses that allow relief after the ten-year period cannot petition for relief of the duty to register as long as at least one (1) of the convictions was entered on or after July 1, 1995

Verification of Address:

All offenders are required to personally appear at a MDPS driver’s license station to reregister and verify their information every ninety (90) days. Reregistration includes the submission of current information including registrant’s street address and telephone number; name, street address and telephone number of employer; status at any school; and payment of fee. Sheriffs also verify addresses in their counties.

Penalties for Non-Compliance:

The failure of an offender to provide any registration or other information including, but not limited to, initial registration, reregistration or change of address information is a violation of the law as is forgery of information or submission of information under false pretenses. Also failure to provide required notifications to volunteer groups and employers of status as a registered sex offender is a violation of the law. The violation is a felony and is punishable by a fine or imprisonment, or both. The offender’s driving license or privilege in the State of MS is also suspended.

Access to Information:

Information on registered offenders is available on the website: www.sor.mdps.state.ms.us. Information is also maintained at local sheriff’s offices and the MDPS. Information released includes: name, race, sex, date of birth, height, weight, eye and hair color, address, aliases, crime for which convicted, date and place of conviction, and a photograph. The MS statute also states that any other information deemed necessary for the protection of the public may be released.

Confidentiality Provision:

Anyone who uses this information to commit a criminal act against another person is subject to criminal prosecution. The sale or exchange of sex offender information for profit is prohibited. Misuse of this information is a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine or imprisonment, or both.

Victim information cannot be released.

Number Registered:

3,989 as of 7/07/2006

Percent Compliance:

91%

Internet Access:

http://www.sor.mdps.state.ms.us/

KlaasKids Foundation • P.O. Box 925, Sausalito, CA 94966
Tel: (415) 331-6867 • Fax: (415) 331-5633 • Email: klaaskids@pacbell.net