Only Minor Changes In Vermont's Sex Offender Laws:  A high-risk sex offender was released from a Vermont after maxing out his sentence, despite his refusal to seek treatment while incarcerated, sparking public demand for stricter sex offender laws.  Alex Keefe and Lynne McCrea of VPR report that lawmakers are considering two weak reforms.  The first would be a clarification to an existing that that states sex offenders must report their plans and activities to the registry before their release from jail.  The second would improve the sex offender registry's accuracy.  Also, several additional requirements have been considered for sex offenders labeled as high-risk.

New System Screens Out Registered Sex Offenders:  A high-tech system that produces instant background checks is being used at schools in Southern Indiana to protect students from sex offenders and other threats.  Stephan Johnson of WDRB reports that the Raptor System performs an immediate background check at the school's entrance, and then prints out a label with the person's name and photo ID if the system approves their entry.  The police department in Clarksville, Indiana purchased the system for the local elementary school.

Uniform Trafficking Law Heads To ND Governor:  North Dakota lawmakers are proposing a uniform law on human trafficking in an effort to move towards helping the victims.  Katherine Lymn of the Dickinson Press reports that Senate Bill 2107 would grant immunity to minors who committed prostitution offenses and other nonviolent crimes related to being trafficked, a law also known as Safe Harbor.  Adult victims would have their prostitution convictions and other related offenses expunged if the court determines the crime resulted from trafficking.  The bill is now headed to the governor for final approval.

Arkansas Parole Officers Overloaded:  In the state of Arkansas, 402 parole officers are responsible for the supervision of 52,292 parolees, equating to an average of 130 parolees per officer, or twice the national caseload average.  Josh Dooley of the Baxter Bulletin reports that with such large caseloads, officers say it is impossible to provide adequate supervision and they "just have to hope nothing bad happens."  Arkansas governor has approved funds to hire 45 additional parole officers over the next two years and add 500 beds in reentry programs across the state.