Remember when conducting sex offender registry (SOR) searches was an inefficient and expensive process? The traditional methods were riddled with false positives and insufficient identifiers, requiring costly manual verification. Luckily, those days are behind us now. Well, at least they are for those who have upgraded to InformData’s SOR+TM.
SOR+ is InformData’s new solution that has modernized and enhanced traditional sex offender registry check methods. But you may be wondering… what are the actual differences that set SOR+ apart from the traditional SOR products on the market? Let’s explore the key differentiators together.
Traditional Methods
Let's begin by taking a quick look at the conventional processes for SOR products. Typically, Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) and background screening companies get their sex offender data by using one of these methods:
- Using a database product (such as a National Criminal Record Database Search, NatCrim for short)
- Using some form of web scraping automation
- Manually performing each search
- Using county-level criminal record searches
The first two methods require re-verification of the results by manually checking the individual sex offender registry sites for fresh, compliant data and additional information – an incredibly time-consuming and costly process. The third method also involves an exorbitant amount of time and money to manually conduct the sex offender portion of every single criminal background check. Learn more about why CRAs lose time and money using traditional sex offender registry search methods here.
The fourth method, relying on county-level criminal searches for sex offender registry data, is incredibly risky and not recommended. While county criminal record searches are the gold standard for determining whether someone has past convictions, they aren’t intended to be used to determine if someone is a registered sex offender. Dive deeper into the pitfalls of this process here.
SOR+ comprehensively addresses the pain points experienced with each traditional method using advanced technology and our Direct-Source Data® methodology. But how exactly does it do that, you ask? Let’s dig in.
Real-Time Updates
Traditional SOR products rely on databases that are updated only weekly, biweekly, or even monthly. SOR+, on the other hand, is a real-time search. This means you'll always have access to the most current and up-to-date information, reducing the opportunity of missed records and mitigating risk.
Full DOB and SSN Matching
SOR+ stands out by offering full Date of Birth (DOB) and Social Security Number (SSN) matching for more than 50% of all registered sex offenders. In contrast, traditional SOR products do not have SSN-matching capabilities. This enhanced Personally Identifiable Information (PII) matching ensures more accurate and conclusive results, reducing false positives by a whopping 89% when compared to traditional screening using the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).
In cases where complete DOB information is unavailable, traditional products often rely solely on name matching, a practice that can lead to those pesky false positives and wild goose chases, or worse yet, missed records. SOR+, on the other hand, employs a combination of name and age matching to uphold precision, further ensuring that you consistently receive accurate and comprehensive results in all circumstances.
No Re-Verification of Hits
As I mentioned above, one common frustration with traditional SOR products is the need for re-verifying hits due to incomplete PII and stale data. It usually takes manual work to double-check the hits, which is inefficient, time-consuming, and can become very costly. With our enhanced PII matching, you can be confident that the results you receive belong to the individual you are searching for.
Since SOR+ is a fully automated, real-time search that uses the most up-to-date data, it consistently delivers results that don't require further verification. This results in a significant reduction in time and effort, ensuring swift results with turnaround times averaging under 60 seconds.
Greater Uptime with Direct-to-Source Integration
SOR+ provides Direct-Source Data for sex offender registry checks by using a direct-to-source integration to the leading sex offender management database. The result is greater uptime, ensuring that you have uninterrupted access to critical data. In contrast, traditional SOR products that utilize web-scraping often face downtime due to site blocking or outages, which can disrupt your workflow and lead to delays.
Transactional API and Alerts
SOR data providers often use blocking technology to prevent scrapers from harming their systems and causing their services to be unusable for the general public and government organizations. The site blocking results in a high risk of missed records, and because you may not be aware of it when it happens, records could be missed for weeks, months, or even longer. On top of that, it might only be brought to your attention when the incorrect results have led to an undesired outcome, like a sex offender getting a job that they shouldn’t have. In fact, last week alone, 36.5 million searches were blocked. Were you or your data provider one of them?
With SOR+, you don’t have to worry. By partnering with OffenderWatch to directly access the data and using a transactional API that eliminates blocking and provides alerts for site outages, SOR+ proactively prevents missed records, giving you confidence in the continuity and reliability of your sex offender registry checks.
What Will It Be for Your CRA?
There you have it. SOR+ is the industry’s modern sex offender registry check solution that provides improved efficiency and precise data you can trust, while mitigating risk and reducing costs.
Now that you know the differences between SOR+ and traditional SOR products, what’s next for your CRA? Will you stick to the traditional methods you’ve become accustomed to despite their pitfalls and increased risk, or are you ready to embrace the future with SOR+?
Want to learn more about this new solution? Check out our recent webinar to get all the details.
If you’re ready for easier, faster, and more conclusive sex offender registry searches, let us know. Contact us to discuss how it works or to see it in action. We look forward to supporting your success with SOR+.
![[Podcast] How Sex Offender Registry+ provides fast, accurate SOR searches with enhanced PII](https://www.informdata.com/hubfs/A.%20InformData/resources/podcast/podcast-cover.png)
