Minnesota more restrictive than others in posting offender data
Posted on Sat, Feb. 11, 2006
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS - When Albert Lea radio commentator Ron Hunter found out that five sex offenders from Iowa were living in his city, it made him wonder whether sex offenders were flocking to Minnesota to hide out.
He learned there was another explanation: It's easier to look up information on the Internet about sex offenders released by other states than it is to find out about sex offenders released from Minnesota prisons.
Minnesota posts data online on only about 100 of its roughly 17,300 registered sex offenders. By contrast, Iowa, Wisconsin and North Dakota put the names and locations of thousands of sex offenders on their state Web sites.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections Web site lists only sex offenders categorized as Level 3, those deemed most likely to re-offend.
But for thousands of less dangerous Minnesota offenders, officials notify only victims, witnesses, police and sometimes schools and day care centers. There is no broad public notification.
Other states post information on a much broader population of sex offenders.
State corrections officials defend Minnesota's limited approach, saying it focuses attention on ex-convicts deemed most likely to re-offend. Posting thousands of people without regard to the seriousness of their crimes or their risk of re-offending would overwhelm the public and obscure serious offenders, they argue.
But Hunter and some lawmakers say providing broader online disclosure in Minnesota would provide citizens with a better picture of potential threats in their community.
"You wonder how many are flying under the radar," said Hunter, whose on-air complaints about Minnesota's practices have fostered debate on the issue.
State law enforcement officials are scheduled to discuss the issue with local authorities in Albert Lea this month. State Rep. Dan Dorman, R-Albert Lea, said he favors re-examining Minnesota's sex-offender Web policy during the upcoming session.
Minnesota officials say Level 3 sex offenders have about a 9 percent recidivism rate, compared with 4 percent and 3 percent for lower-level offenders.
All but two states post sex-offender data online, but policies vary widely. According to Familywatchdog.us, a private online registry that compiles data from states, only Rhode Island appears to be more restrictive than Minnesota.
Familywatchdog identifies 172 sex offenders living in Minnesota who are registered in other states.
Iowa's policy used to be like Minnesota's, but Iowa concluded that predicting behavior was difficult and time-consuming, said Gordon Miller, a spokesman for that state's sex-offender registry. Iowa started posting nearly all sex offenders after deciding, he said, that "maybe our best bet is just to let the public ... decide how to use that information."
The policy in Iowa, which has roughly 5,500 released sex offenders posted on its site, is so inclusive that a man convicted of burglarizing an unoccupied home was posted because he was seen earlier looking through a window at a woman who lived there, Miller said.
Wisconsin lists about 11,100 released offenders on its site.
"The law in Wisconsin is quite strict and has many sex offenses that require registration and all registrants, minus juveniles ... are for publication on Wisconsin's Web site," said Grace Roberts, supervisor of that state's registry.
William Donnay, director of risk assessment for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, said treatment professionals contend that identifying lower-level criminals only makes it harder for them to integrate back into society and avoid committing another crime.
Donnay also said it would be expensive to ensure that the addresses and other information for thousands of released offenders remained updated and accurate.
"Is the investment worth the outcome?" he asked. "That's a question for the Legislature to decide."
Former state Sen. Dave Kleis, R-St. Cloud, pushed for posting all sex offenders when Minnesota's plans for the Web site were discussed.
"The department and the Legislature weren't willing to go that far," said Kleis, now mayor of St. Cloud. "What it got down to in the compromise was Level 3 sex offenders."
Posted on Sat, Feb. 11, 2006
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS - When Albert Lea radio commentator Ron Hunter found out that five sex offenders from Iowa were living in his city, it made him wonder whether sex offenders were flocking to Minnesota to hide out.
He learned there was another explanation: It's easier to look up information on the Internet about sex offenders released by other states than it is to find out about sex offenders released from Minnesota prisons.
Minnesota posts data online on only about 100 of its roughly 17,300 registered sex offenders. By contrast, Iowa, Wisconsin and North Dakota put the names and locations of thousands of sex offenders on their state Web sites.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections Web site lists only sex offenders categorized as Level 3, those deemed most likely to re-offend.
But for thousands of less dangerous Minnesota offenders, officials notify only victims, witnesses, police and sometimes schools and day care centers. There is no broad public notification.
Other states post information on a much broader population of sex offenders.
State corrections officials defend Minnesota's limited approach, saying it focuses attention on ex-convicts deemed most likely to re-offend. Posting thousands of people without regard to the seriousness of their crimes or their risk of re-offending would overwhelm the public and obscure serious offenders, they argue.
But Hunter and some lawmakers say providing broader online disclosure in Minnesota would provide citizens with a better picture of potential threats in their community.
"You wonder how many are flying under the radar," said Hunter, whose on-air complaints about Minnesota's practices have fostered debate on the issue.
State law enforcement officials are scheduled to discuss the issue with local authorities in Albert Lea this month. State Rep. Dan Dorman, R-Albert Lea, said he favors re-examining Minnesota's sex-offender Web policy during the upcoming session.
Minnesota officials say Level 3 sex offenders have about a 9 percent recidivism rate, compared with 4 percent and 3 percent for lower-level offenders.
All but two states post sex-offender data online, but policies vary widely. According to Familywatchdog.us, a private online registry that compiles data from states, only Rhode Island appears to be more restrictive than Minnesota.
Familywatchdog identifies 172 sex offenders living in Minnesota who are registered in other states.
Iowa's policy used to be like Minnesota's, but Iowa concluded that predicting behavior was difficult and time-consuming, said Gordon Miller, a spokesman for that state's sex-offender registry. Iowa started posting nearly all sex offenders after deciding, he said, that "maybe our best bet is just to let the public ... decide how to use that information."
The policy in Iowa, which has roughly 5,500 released sex offenders posted on its site, is so inclusive that a man convicted of burglarizing an unoccupied home was posted because he was seen earlier looking through a window at a woman who lived there, Miller said.
Wisconsin lists about 11,100 released offenders on its site.
"The law in Wisconsin is quite strict and has many sex offenses that require registration and all registrants, minus juveniles ... are for publication on Wisconsin's Web site," said Grace Roberts, supervisor of that state's registry.
William Donnay, director of risk assessment for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, said treatment professionals contend that identifying lower-level criminals only makes it harder for them to integrate back into society and avoid committing another crime.
Donnay also said it would be expensive to ensure that the addresses and other information for thousands of released offenders remained updated and accurate.
"Is the investment worth the outcome?" he asked. "That's a question for the Legislature to decide."
Former state Sen. Dave Kleis, R-St. Cloud, pushed for posting all sex offenders when Minnesota's plans for the Web site were discussed.
"The department and the Legislature weren't willing to go that far," said Kleis, now mayor of St. Cloud. "What it got down to in the compromise was Level 3 sex offenders."
posted by Richy at 9:34 AM
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