Arizona’s ‘patchwork’ of sex offender laws still needs improvement

• Despite existing laws on sex offender registration and monitoring gaps exist • Arizona, along with many other states, chose not to follow the federal requirements • 18 states, four US territories, 137 tribes have implemented the requirements

Legislators and field experts say Arizona’s “patchwork” of sex offender registration and notification laws still need improvement.

Existing gaps include how offenders are supervised, the lack of auditing of offender level files, the need for more transparency in probation programs and ensuring probation officers and law enforcement have the resources to do their jobs as the law and statutes direct, Beth Goulden said.

Goulden chairs the Sex Offender Management Board, a new multi-disciplinary board under the Department of Public Safety that deve