State lawmakers are hoping that a new law requiring people convicted of certain crimes to register for a database will help prevent violent crimes.
Sierah’s Law creates a violent offender database that will help law enforcement keep track of people convicted of certain violent crimes.
While the registry went live in March and is continuing to grow, people still have plenty of questions about who’s include and what information is part of the database.
Here’s five things to know about the violent offender registry:
1) Who is on the violent offender registry?
The database includes people convicted of aggravated murder, murder, voluntary manslaughter, kidnapping and abduction.
The law isn’t retroactive, so people who were convicted and released before March 20 do not have to register for the database.
2) Who can access it?
Unlike Ohio’s public sex offender registry, the violent offenders database is only available to law enforcement, like the arson registry. The database is exempt from public records, but people can access parts of it at their local sheriff’s office.
3) How many people are on it?
As of April 4, 22 people are on the Violent Offender Database Registry. None of them were from Greene, Miami, Warren, Clark, Champaign, Darke, Preble, Warren and Butler counties.
Two of the 22 people were from Montgomery County.
4) What do offenders have to register?
Offenders are required to register their name, address and vehicle once they are released from prison.
5) Why is it called Sierah’s Law?
The law is named in honor of Sierah Joughin, a 20-year-old University of Toledo student who was reportedly abducted and killed in 2016. James D. Worley, who was convicted of killing her, previously served time for abduction.
News Center 7's Gabby Enright looked deeper into Ohio's new registry and talked to law enforcement about how they can use it. For more details, tune in on Monday, April 29, at 5:30 p.m.
