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Rhode Island provides a workable, informative site, giving the public access to information on both moderate and high-risk registered sex offenders. The site is run by Rhode Island’s Parole Board and thus is geared more toward parole issues and law enforcement than as a service for the community.

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Information Provided:

Rhode Island’s Parole Board & Sex Offender Community Notification Unit site includes Level III (high risk) offenders and Level II (moderate risk) offenders as of January 1, 2006. Profiles include the standard physical description, one address—sparse by national standards. Incidentally, most of the photos are black and white. The offense description is in plain language and includes the age and sex of the victim as well as whether or not the offender knew the victim at the time of the offense.

Search Functions:

Level II and Level III offenders may be viewed on separate lists, or you may search offenders by town or by zip code. Searching by town or zip code results in a list of sex offenders with the Level II or Level III designation—many other states do not include the designation on the results list; it appears only on the profiles.

Additional Site Features:

There are few additional features on this site. It contains articles regarding policies, registration and notification, but little for public education like safety tips.

Ease of Use:

This site is easy to use. The Town and Zip Code searches offer convenient drop down menus and a number indicating how many sex offenders are located in each town or zip code.

Contact Information:

Contact the Rhode Island Sex Offender Community Notification Unit by telephone or FAX or the Parole Board by phone, fax or email.

Summary:

Rhode Island’s sex offender registry is managed by the Parole Board and it shows through the site’s links. Balancing law enforcement’s needs with the public’s use site would require adding an interactive map and helpful community safety and prevention information. With these improvements, Rhode Islanders would have a far more effective resource.