Chicago — As Halloween approaches, Attorney General Lisa Madigan reminded parents to check the state’s sex offender registry and with their local law enforcement agency before determining trick-or-treat routes for their children.
“I encourage families to check the registry before they head out on Halloween to help them plan safe trick-or-treating routes for their children,” Madigan said.
This week, Madigan’s office will be conducting compliance checks on sexually violent persons as part of her Illinois Sex Offender Registry Team (I-SORT). The compliance checks verify that offenders actually live where they claim to so that the sex offender registry continues to serve as a useful tool for parents. As of October 2014, there were more than 27,600 registered sex offenders in Illinois.
Madigan noted that Illinois law prohibits sex offenders on parole, mandatory supervised release or probation from distributing candy or other items to children on Halloween.
Madigan created the Illinois Sex Offender Registry Team (I-SORT) in 2003 and launched a statewide public awareness campaign to educate Illinoisans about the registry and the information available on the site. Madigan’s office also established a toll-free hotline – 1-888-41-ISORT – which the public and law enforcement can call with questions and with tips about non-compliant sex offenders.