We, the undersigned residents of Michigan, respectfully petition the Governor, the Legislature, the Attorney General, and appropriate local officials to authorize and implement a Michigan Domestic Violence Offender Registry (MDVOR).

The MDVOR would provide secure, limited access to information about individuals convicted of domestic violence-related offenses and/or subject to final protective orders, in a manner consistent with Michigan statutes, privacy protections, victim safety, and due process. The MDVOR would be developed through a transparent, multi-stakeholder process, with actionable legislative and budgetary recommendations.

Domestic violence remains a critical safety issue in Michigan. A carefully designed registry can enhance risk assessment, inform enforcement and judicial decision-making, and improve victim and community safety.

Tennessee’s DV offender registry provides a model for balancing security, appropriate disclosure, and privacy protections. Michigan should pursue a comparable framework that complies with state law and constitutional rights.

The MDVOR would be administered with strong governance, privacy protections, oversight, and periodic review to assess effectiveness and civil rights impacts. 

The purpose for the registry is to improve public safety by informing authorized personnel about DV offenders and protective orders, while protecting victims’ privacy and civil rights.

Data should include only information permissible under Michigan law and aligned with privacy protections. Potential categories may include: Offenders convicted of DV-related offenses (subject to lawful disclosure limits) Individuals currently subject to final protective orders (where legally permissible to disclose) Disposition status, jurisdiction, and relevant case identifiers (restricted to what is legally permissible)

Access will be granted through secure, authenticated channels for law enforcement, prosecutors, probation/parole, and court personnel. Public disclosure should be restricted unless Michigan law expressly permits it, with safeguards against misuse. 

Data integrity should be upheld with regular updates from courts, law enforcement, and probation/parole to ensure timeliness and accuracy; redaction where required.

Victim safety shall be upheld through protections to prevent exposure of location data or personal identifiers; process for victims to request enhanced safety measures. 

The registry should have oversight through an interagency governance mechanism (e.g., registry board or task force) to oversee privacy safeguards, transparency, and annual reporting to the Legislature with provisions for periodic review, with renewal or amendments as needed.

A Michigan Domestic Violence Offender Registry would improve risk assessment, inform enforcement and judicial actions, and support victims by reducing opportunities for re-victimization. A carefully designed registry can be implemented with privacy safeguards, ensuring limited access and strong accountability.