- Are compliance checks legally required?
- What is the extent of the information individuals are required to provide during compliance checks?
- Is there a legal obligation for registered individuals to confirm their address or other information during police visits?
- What are the potential motivations behind compliance checks?
- Do compliance checks contribute to public safety improvement?
- Could financial incentives, such as grant money for agencies, be driving compliance checks, potentially overshadowing concerns for public safety?
Have you been bullied, threatened, lied to during a compliance check? Tell us about it here.
There is no law requiring compliance checks targeting the homes of people who are forced to register. Law enforcement in at least one recent instance lied about the lack of such a law during a compliance check.
In a 2007 Minnesota case, Doe v. Ladue, such checks were found to be unconstitutional.
Many individuals mistakenly believe that they must comply with these visits. Compliance checks are not a legal obligation. From the Nebraskans Unafraid Compliance Check Guide:
You have already reported to the sheriff — at least once, twice, or four times a year – what your address is and that is all that is required of you. We know of no statutory requirement in Nebraska that you confirm your address – or any other information – when police come to your door.
Download the Nebraska Compliance Check Guide
There is no evidence that compliance checks enhance public safety. Instead, these checks perpetuate stigmatization and fear, potentially hindering the reintegration of individuals who have already served their sentences.
Some critics argue that these checks may be used as a means for law enforcement agencies to secure grant money. This financial incentive raises questions about the true motivations behind compliance checks and whether they are primarily driven by genuine concern for public safety or by financial gain.
Nebraskans Unafraid would like to know about your experience with compliance checks. Have you been lied to, bullied, or threatened? Did you get names? Did you clarify the reason for the visit? Did you shoot photos or video? You are legally entitled to ask questions and make photos or videos of anything that happens on your property. If you would like to share your experience, please use this form to get your story to us.