Amador County - A new program designed to better inform the public of sex offenders in their area has been adopted by the Amador County Sheriff. Ryan touted the new site as a “proactive notification form” that regularly updates subscribes with changes in sex offender status in their area. “The value of it, as opposed to Megan’s Law…is that you don’t have to do anything but go in and sign up,” said Ryan. Megan’s Law, enacted in 1994, is an informal name for laws in the United States requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. The details of what is provided as part of sex offender registration and how community notification is handled vary from state to state, and in some states the required registration information and community notification protocols have changed many times since Megan's Law was passed. In total there are 100 offenders in Amador County. 15 are within the incorporated city limits of Jackson, Sutter Creek and Ione, 22 are in Mule Creek State Prison, and 63 live in the unincorporated areas of the county monitored by the Sheriff’s department. None of the offenders in Amador County are classified as sexually violent, but 18 in the unincorporated jurisdiction are considered “serious.” Only 39 sex offenders are disclosed to the public through Megan’s Law in Amador County. “Certain violations are not on the disclosable list to the general public,” said Ryan. Offender Watch is a private company specializing in private service to law enforcement like the Amador County Sheriff. Ryan said the subscription cost is approximately $3,500 a year. The service began locally in April of 2008. To access the site or for more information, visit the Amador County Sheriff on the web. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.