Adam Walsh Act Highlights Importance of Checking Sex Offender Status

29 July 2006

On July 27, 2006, President Bush signed H.R. 4472, the new national sex offender law commonly referred to as the Adam Walsh Act. The legislation was enacted to protect children from sexual exploitation and violent crime, prevent child abuse and child pornography, and promote Internet safety. Among other components of the act is a requirement for the Department of Justice to design, create, and maintain a new public national sex offender registry.

Although the Department of Justice has three years to establish its registry, USIS, a leader in pre-employment screening, drug testing, and insurance services, currently offers Guardian, a national sex offender search product. Guardian is a cost-effective solution that an employer can use to screen for potential sex offenders. The product is offered by USIS's commercial services business based in Tulsa, Okla.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 60 percent of convicted sex offenders are on parole or probation. In addition, when compared to non-sex offenders released from prison, released sex offenders were four times more likely to be rearrested for a sex crime. A high percentage of sex offenders on parole, coupled with the increased likelihood of these offenders re-committing a sex crime, means employers have to be especially diligent in screening employees for sex offenses.

Previously, sex offender searches could only be conducted on a state-by-state basis, and many employers would run a sex offender search for only the state in which the business was located. However, this sometimes resulted in missed information, as some sex offenders fail to register when moving to a new state of residence.

"Guardian protects against missing critical information, since it is a nationwide search of 49 state registries, plus Washington, D.C.," said Kyle Jacobsen, associate product manager for USIS's commercial services business. "Because it is not a database search, employers can be assured they are receiving the most up to date and comprehensive information available."

"Performing a Guardian national sex offender search helps employers ensure they are protecting their employees and the general public from the dangers of hiring known sex offenders," said Mark Lauinger, director of product management and development for USIS's commercial services business. "This is especially true for businesses that have a high degree of public contact, such as school systems, health care systems, churches and home service companies."

The most comprehensive solution in pre-employment screening is to combine the Guardian product with additional background screening services offered by USIS's commercial services business. USIS provides criminal records searches, credit reports, motor vehicle reports, employment and education verifications, drug testing, and other products which assist more than 33,000 customers across the U.S. in the aviation, trucking, retail, healthcare, insurance, and gaming industries.

For more information on USIS's commercial services business and Guardian national sex offender search product, visit www.usis.com, or call 866.205.6129.

Established in 1996, USIS (www.usis.com) is a worldwide provider of total client solutions in human resources, investigations, and security services to businesses, federal agencies and institutions. USIS offers a broad range of services including background investigations and drug screening solutions, security and related professional services, and national security related staffing and training. Headquartered in Falls Church, Va., USIS employs more than 7,000 associates that support business operations in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and overseas.

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SOURCE: USIS

Source: marketwire

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