By T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter

Two lawmakers are seeking closer scrutiny of sex offenders but neither knows exactly what their proposal will cost.

Representatives Joe Atkins, DFL-Inver Grove Heights, and Rep. Jeff Johnson, R-Plymouth, both presented their sex offender proposals on Thursday (Jan. 19) but approach the task of keeping track of sex offenders differently.

Atkins, like Johnson an attorney, wants to close a perceived loophole in state law by requiring that all sex offenders receive a risk level assessment ó the review that categorizes sex offenders into risk levels.

Currently, only sex offender whoíve served prison time are assigned a risk category: Level I, Level II, or Level III ó the latter deemed most likely to re-offend and the subject of public notification.

But many convicted sex offenders do not serve prison time but rather probation.

According to Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission data, of the 607 Minnesota sex offender convictions in 2003, almost a third went onto probation.

In the previous two years, about a quarter of the 1070 convicted sex offenders went onto probation.

Currently in Minnesota there are about 14,000 registered sex offenders.

Of these, 10,000 are without risk assessments, said Atkins.

Atkins, who highlighted at his Capitol press conference the recent arrest of a 22-year old felony-level sex offender at Stillwater High School, argued the assessment gap needs to be closed.

ìThe goal is to leave no sex offender behind,î said Atkins, saying just because a sex offender receives probation doesnít mean theyíre not dangerous.

It could be a family member was molested, or victim too intimidate to cooperate with investigators, opined Atkins. ìUnfortunately, we have Minnesotans lulled into a false sense of security,î he said.

Atkins proposed that probation agencies provide end-of-probation reviews and assign risk levels to sex offenders at least 90 days before the offenderís probationary period ends.

Atkins proposes that state funding pay for end-of-probation reviews, but doesnít know how much his plan will cost.

ìMy gut reaction to it is ëYes,íî said Johnson of Atkinsí proposal. ìThe more information, the better,î said the state attorney general candidate.

For his part, Johnson wants Level II and Level III sex offenders wearing GPS tracking devices while on supervised release ó for some offenders that could be for life.

If these sex offenders are let out, said Johnson, he wants to know where they are all the time.

The tracking device worn by Level III sex offenders would send out a tracking message about every 15 seconds.

Johnson estimated the cost of his proposal at several million dollars.

Pawlenty Press Secretary Brian McClung said the governor supports the two proposals in concept.

ìWe believe these proposals should be added to the list (of enacted law),î said McClung.

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