Colleagues,
First and foremost, thank you all for your dedication and effort in implementing the provisions of Act 111/Act 91. Each stakeholder has experienced unique obstacles to be overcome to meet the legislative mandates and I remain impressed by the efforts of so many people.
As we approach the final hours prior to the December 20 enactment date of the majority of provisions of Act 111/Act 91, I’d like to provide a final status report and implementation strategy. The PA SORT application has been developed as planned and the application, itself, is functional. Unfortunately, however, due to various network and firewall configurations extant at each local facility, beta testing has revealed the potential for connectivity problems.
In order to facilitate your efforts in the most efficient means possible, we have developed protocols to essentially beta test each site; to ensure connectivity and functionality of the PA SORT application.
This process will involve sequential roll-out and testing of connectivity subsequent to the December 20 implementation date. On December 20, if you are able to efficiently connect to PA SORT; you may utilize the application as envisioned. If, however, you experience connectivity issues, we will ask that you complete registrations on paper concomitant with the previously disseminated contingency plan (attached hereto for reference).
Also attached, in an attempt to ease the burden placed on your agency, are two templates of form SP4-218. One is a protected version which can be utilized to enter the appropriate information to facilitate completion of applicable sections. The second is an unprotected version which may provide a conduit to exporting data currently saved in local databases; depending upon the parameters of your archive.
Should you achieve SORT connectivity and functionality on December 20, you may submit registrations directly through the SORT application. You may also choose to submit paper registrations (i.e. for offenders not entered through SORT) to augment electronic data submissions. Realizing the registrations required in the initial 48 hours and/or 90 days are voluminous; submissions of paper registrations in this fashion may allow a greater number of registrations to be completed within mandated timeframes since equipment availability will not then impede the process.
If your agency completes paper registrations using the attached templates, please print the completed form and obtain original signatures from the offender and the registering official. The completed, signed forms should then be mailed to the Megan’s Law Section, 1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA, 17110. In addition, should LiveScan equipment not become available (i.e. as a result of vendor supply difficulties on the part of MorphoTrust), inked fingerprint cards should be included with the completed SP4-218. Photographs should be captured digitally and may be transmitted electronically (i.e. via e-mail) to ra-pspmeganslawphoto@state.pa.us.
As provided on the contingency plan, PSP Megan’s Law Section staff will correlate this information and make required entries into PA SORT to preclude you from performing redundant tasks.
In ensuing weeks, we will be sending a site survey asking for specific information which your local information officer (technology officer, etc.) should be able to provide regarding local network, router and security configurations. Upon receiving that information, personnel form our Bureau of Information Technology will coordinate testing of PA SORT connectivity with your site. Upon successful testing, submission of paper registration forms will then be discontinued for these sites; reverting to contingency procedures only in the event of further equipment or connectivity issues going forward.
Those sites identified as county registration sites should have, or will be, receiving a supply of “hard copies” of form SP4-218 via U. S. Mail.
We realize the tremendous effort expended on the part of each and every one of you and it is our desire these protocols ameliorate some of your burden. Please contact myself or Lieutenant Harman with any questions.
Captain Scott C. Price l Director, Operational Records Division
Pennsylvania State Police l Bureau of Records and Identification
1800 Elmerton Avenue l Hbg PA 17110
Phone: 717-772-2602 l Fax: 717-772-4073
scprice@pa.gov
www.psp.state.pa.us
**Content Last Updated 12/17/2012**
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