Like many other states, Indiana has laws requiring those convicted of sex crimes to register as sex offenders. The requirement to register with local law enforcement can be either a 10-year requirement or a lifetime obligation depending on the crime that was committed.
The registration requirements themselves are burdensome.
They require a person to come in person to a law enforcement agency and provide a lot of otherwise private information, including the person’s residential address. In some cases, the person will need to register in other counties as well as the county where he or she lives.
The deadlines to provide or update information are strict. If an Indianapolis resident does not comply, then she may face a separate felony charge and additional time in prison.
This is true even if she has already served her entire punishment for a sex crime and has not been in any other trouble.
In Indiana, being on the registry could mean other restrictions on freedoms
Furthermore, under Indiana law, people on the registry may have many important liberties restricted.
For one, periodic visits from law enforcement at one’s home are going to be a regular occurrence since officers will verify that the information a person provided is current.
Two, depending on the offense, a person may be forbidden from living near a school, park, etc. He may also be forbidden from working or volunteering at a job if it means being at a school, youth program center or park. A person may also not live within a mile of his alleged victim.
Finally, the sex offender registry is public and accessible to employers, neighbors and others. Incidentally, there may also be fees associated with being on the registry. Since registration is required, so are the fees.
Someone facing a charge related to a sex crime should consider carefully if they are willing to be on the registry even if the prosecutor is otherwise offering a generous plea bargain. He should evaluate all of his legal options before making a decision.