Pawlenty seeks longer sentences for sex offenders

Gov. Tim Pawlenty wants to double prison terms for the state’s most serious sex offenders. Under a proposal unveiled by Pawlenty on Tuesday, individuals convicted of first degree criminal sexual conduct would face a presumptive sentence of 25 years in prison, up from 12 years under current guidelines.

“Sex offenders in our state and across this country continue to present a very serious challenge for the safety of our fellow citizens to our communities and our families,” Pawlenty said in announcing the proposal. “They need to be kept off the streets for as long as possible and Minnesota’s current laws in that regard can be even further improved.”

It’s not the first time that Pawlenty has sought to ratchet up prison sentences for sex offenders. In 2005, following the slaying of Dru Sjodin by a sex offender who had recently been released from prison, the state adopted life sentences for the most serious sex crimes. But in order for individuals to receive such a sentence, there must be at least two “heinous elements” involved in the crime. Pawlenty’s proposal would apply to all other first degree criminal sexual conduct cases.  He estimated that the increased sentences would affect roughly 500 offenders over the next 25 years and cost up to $5 million.

The Republican governor also renewed his call for legislators to include $89 million to expand a sex offender treatment facility in Moose Lake in their bonding bill. It was the largest request in Pawlenty’s proposed capital investment bill, but didn’t make the cut in either the House or Senate’s versions of the legislation.

“If they bring those bills to my desk in the form that they’re in, or even close to the form that they’re in, they’re going to get vetoed in their entirety,” Pawlenty vowed.

Pawlenty’s motivation for proposing the change in prison sentences is financial as well as punitive. The Minnesota Sex Offender Program, which houses the state’s most dangerous sex offenders primarily at Moose Lake, has nearly tripled in size over the last six years to more than 550 patients. The civil commitment program, which operates under the premise that it will eventually rehabilitate and release sexual deviants, is extremely expensive. Currently it costs roughly $325 per day to enroll an individual in the Minnesota Sex Offender Program, as opposed to just $63 per day to keep someone in prison.

“That program is extraordinarily expensive,” Pawlenty noted. “It is a wise public policy decision to expand and keep them in prison longer. Not only will it help advance the cause of public safety, but it will also be a more economical approach.”

The governor also announced a new Internet safety curriculum that will be made available to schools across the state. The introduction of the “Netsmartz” program, developed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is being paid for by a federal grant. Tim Leslie, assistant commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, said there’s a tremendous need to educate kids about how to protect themselves from online predators.

“Those who are providing this material to kids and those who are soliciting them, know how to do this,” Leslie said. “They know how to play on their vulnerabilities.”

2 Responses to “Pawlenty seeks longer sentences for sex offenders”

1. Michael Cafarelli Says:
   February 10th, 2010 at 9:18 am

   We at http://www.GuardChild.com applaud the Governors decision to initiate an Internet Safety program to all schools across the state. We would like to see other states follow his lead, as the need for educating children about the dangers online is urgent.

   Today we are living in a digital age where nothing is private. Our children as well as parents need to understand how to enjoy the Internet and what the pitfalls are if the wrong information is posted to an online account - in particular Facebook, YouTube or any other social networking site.

2. Tim P Says:
   February 10th, 2010 at 10:50 am

   This is a sound good act on the part of the Governer. Look to the Dept Of Justice study on sex offenders over 95% of them have never been arrested before for anything. So the Governer is not going cut down on the number of sexual assaults. Also the study found that over 90% of those who were assaulted knew the offender very well and over 50% of them were family members who commited the sexual assault. The Governer is trying to spend our tax money without providing us any more protection.