The Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry has lost track of more than 1,700 convicted sex offenders, according to a state audit released on Wednesday. The report from the office of Auditor Suzanne Bump concluded that the registry lacks adequate policies and procedures to ensure that sex offenders are promptly classified. State law requires convicted sex offenders to register with the sex offender board and update their information annually, including any changes to their address. The registry currently has records on nearly 22,000 "active" sex offenders, according to the report. A 2015 decision by the state's highest court required a standard of "clear and convincing evidence" in classifying sex offenders and resulted in 378 cases being returned for reclassification hearings.

Source: ABC News September 27, 2017 15:51 UTC