Oregon’s Sex Offender Registration system is part of a statewide effort to track individuals who have been convicted of certain sexual offenses. Anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Oregon and has been convicted of certain sexual crimes is required to register as a sex offender in Oregon. Once someone is required to register, Oregon law requires them to report to a police station at least once per year. In Oregon, registration is a lifelong requirement, but some people can be relieved of their responsibility after at least five years have passed since their jail, prison, and supervision has ended. Notably, minors who were adjudicated in the youth justice system are never eligible for relief even though young people are most likely to be rehabilitated.

How did the sex offender registry start?

Registration was originally designed as an administrative system for tracking information, and the intent was not to add another layer of punishment. While that remains the legal framing, the lived experience for many people is far more complex. Lifelong reporting, public disclosure, and the social consequences that follow can create challenges that were not envisioned when these systems were created, leading to housing instability and difficulty keeping employment. These consequences also impact innocent family members causing destabilization in our communities.

What Registration Requires

Once on the registry, individuals must complete several ongoing duties. These include:

• Reporting in person to law enforcement within ten days of moving, becoming homeless, starting or stopping employment, or changing schools
• Reporting in person each year, even if nothing has changed
• Notifying law enforcement of travel or other specific changes when required
• Keeping all information accurate and current at all times

Failure to comply with these requirements is a separate crime, which can lead to additional legal consequences.

Understanding Oregon’s Level System

Oregon uses a three level risk classification system to help determine risk and guide public notification:

• Level 1: Lowest risk
• Level 2: Moderate risk
• Level 3: Higher risk

The process of determining risk begins by using a scientifically proven tools to determine the likelihood that a person will reoffend. They take into account the age of the offender, their relationship to the victim(s), and other factors the reliably predict someone’s risk.

Even though these tools have been proven to be very accurate, Oregon law requires that the state deviate from the tools in ways that have serious consequences for our state.:Certain crimes require someone to be identified as Level 3 even if the tool accurately identifies them as lower risk.

By law, Oregon is requires to assess an offender’s risk either upon release from custody or upon sentencing if they are sentenced to probation. But Oregon faces a significant backlog of completing risk assessments, so some people’s risk assessment is completed years later. Evidence shows that everyone’s risk declines as time passes. But Oregon is required to pretend like this time has not passed, which causes to misclassify people as higher risk than is accurate, leading to unnecessary restrictions and destabilization.

Levels are not assigned by the sentencing court. Instead, they are determined by the Oregon State Police using a validated assessment tool. Individuals may apply for reclassification or relief from registration depending on the conviction, the number of years that have passed, and their personal history since the offense.

What Information is Public

Information about level 3 registrants appear on the public website, and information about level 1 and 2 registrants is shared with certain categories of people. When information about a person is shared, it may include:

• Name
• Photograph
• Identifying details
• Home address
• Specific offense information
• Employer

The registry does not provide any evidence of rehabilitation. By listing home address and employer information, it puts employers and family members at risk of harassment.