Assemblymen: New Sex Offender Legislation Reform Protects Residents

New reforms have been signed into law aimed at protecting residents from sex offenders.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed legislation and announced reforms that are meant to provide amped up protection for residents from sex offenders.

The legislation complements reforms already put into place that strengthen civil confinement procedures and work to more adequately detect the risk of recidivism among offenders.

"I am extremely pleased that the Governor signed these pieces of legislation to put into law the measures we passed through the legislature," said Assemblyman Daniel P. Losquadro, R,C,I, Shoreham. "Advances in technology make updates to our sex offender registry a simple process that will give both the public and law enforcement access to up to date appearance and residency data," he added. "In addition, we have closed a loophole to now give law enforcement and mental health professionals access to the records they need to determine if civil confinement should be recommended at the end an offender's incarceration. These laws are about protecting the public, and especially our children, from individuals who have clearly shown a terrifying tendency to become repeat offenders."

The first bill authorizes law enforcement officials to update photographs of high-risk sexual offenders every 90 days, or if the offender's appearance has changed. The photos will also be sent to the sex offender registry for use by the public and law enforcement. Currently, high-risk offenders must submit a photograph only once a year; the bill will take effect within the next 30 days.

The second facet of the newly signed legislation requires a parole board to record and transcribe release interviews of detained sex offenders; the records will be given to the Office of Mental Health and the Office of the Attorney General to determine whether civil confinement is necessary; the bill also will take effect in 30 days.

The third bill requires that law enforement officers be notified by an officer of the State Education Department's Office of Professional Discipline when they are investigating a complaint of sexual misconduct against a licensed healthcare provider; the bill took place immediately.

Cuomo also announced a series of reforms that utilize science and tighter standards to mimimize risks posed by sex offenders.  

The new standards will be embraced by OMH, which has redesigned case review practice to give greater wight to factors proven to predict risk of re-offense, including "dynamic risk factors" such as inability to form healthy relationships, sexual pre-occupation, emotional identification with children and psychothrapy.

Also, any sex offender nearing release will be subject to an in-depth case review if there is a significant history of sex offender behavior and if the list of dynamic risk factors is high.

A new information sharing system and protocol will also be put in place to ensure all records are reviewed by OMH before a sex offender is released; all records will be digitally scanned and uploaded to a centralizd digital image bank.

Other reforms include a new dynamic risk assessment tool that will help those supervising paroled sex offenders identify indicators that could signal an offender's likelihood to commit another crime; training for the new tool will begin in September.

Finally, those providers serving paroled sex offenders will be required to communicate with the parole officer to give updates on treatment status and report any failure to attend and participate in meetings.

"These new laws and reforms will better protect the public against sex offenders," said New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, I, D, WF, Sag Harbor. "I commend Governor Cuomo for signing this legislation to help keep sex offenders off the street when they pose a threat to society." 

What do you think of these new sex offender legislation reforms? Tell us in the comments section.

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