Bonnie Beste
A month ago the Superior Police Department notified the public on the release of two registered sex offenders. There were a lot of questions and comments that were made after the release of the information. Hopefully with this article I can answer some of the questions and give information to help our citizens become informed about the process.
On June 1, 1997, Wisconsin Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification laws became effective. Sex offenders pose a risk of engaging in criminal sexual activity in the community. Protection of the public from sex offenders is a governmental interest. Registration serves as a way to monitor and track the whereabouts of sex offenders in the community. The Department of Corrections (DOC) is assigned responsibility for administrating the sex offender registration program. Responsibility to notify the public about a registered sex offenders release is that of the local law enforcement agency, either city police or sheriff’s departments. Superior Police, Douglas County Sheriff, the Department of Corrections and other agencies are part of a CORE Team. This team meets regularly and discusses offenders who are getting released. As a team, we decide on the level of community notification that will be done. The type of notification is based on the severity and type of crime. We take into account the safety of the community and notify as much as we possibly can.
There have been many comments of the location of one of the placement houses that individuals on probation get released to. The Department of Corrections contracts with a provider that in turn works with local building owners to house offenders who have been recently released. One of the Transitional Living Program (TLP) houses where offenders get released to is close to the Superior Public Library. This, of course, is not by design, but because of financial circumstances and the willingness of someone to rent their building to house DOC offenders. All offenders released to the TLP houses are on electronic monitoring and, in some cases, GPS monitoring. TLP residents and the property are monitored not only by DOC agents but they are also monitored seven days a week by a contracted case manager.
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Normally, offenders get released into the community where their offense occurred. Before release the offender is assigned an agent from the DOC. The agent works on conditions of release and where the offender will reside. If the offender is not from the area and wishes to be released in a different county where they possibly have assistance from family or friends, the agent works as hard as they can to place the offender where they are going to receive the most support so they do not reoffend. But, it is up to the other county if they will accept an offender into their area. Most offenders that are convicted in Douglas County are from this area. Many sex offenders in Wisconsin that are released are on electronic monitoring or GPS.
Facts and stats:
• Approximately four out of five of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim.
• 44 percent of victims are under the age of 18.
• 80 percent of victims are under the age of 30.
• 68 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.
It is important that when an offender is released we do not push them underground because then we cannot keep track of them. The Sex Offender Registry program is an evidence-based model made to help keep our society safe.
References and for more information:
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www.csom.org/pubs/needtoknow_fs.pdf
www.nsopw.gov/en/Education/FactsStatistics?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
