The Hawai'i Criminal Justice Data Center has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to enhance the state's sex offender registry by making the sex offender information readily available to law enforcement agencies and the state attorney general's office.

The funding to support implementation of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 was announced today by Hawai'i Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono.

The stated purpose of the Walsh Act is to protect the public — in particular children — from violent sex offenders with a more comprehensive, nationalized system for registration of sex offenders.