Pawlenty proposes to double sex offender prison sentences

Gov. Tim Pawlenty today announced a proposal to more than double prison time for sex offenders and a new comprehensive internet education program to help protect children from online predators.

Under the Governor's proposal, an offender convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct would receive a 25-year sentence, more than doubling the current presumptive sentence.

“Offenders who commit these heinous crimes should be locked up for an even longer period of time,” Pawlenty said. “While I have led efforts to increase sentencing in the past, we can do even more to protect our citizens from dangerous sexual predators. We need to change the law so we can keep these predators off our streets.”

In 2005, Pawlenty led efforts to significantly enhance sentencing for criminal sexual conduct offenses. Under the law, someone who commits a particularly egregious first offense or is a repeat sex offender could be sentenced to life in prison or until they could prove they were worthy of release. Offenders would have had to commit their first offense with two other statutorily described “heinous elements” before they could be sentenced for life.

However, under current law offenders who are convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct without such “heinous elements” face a maximum sentence of 30 years. Minnesota courts typically impose a presumptive sentence of 12 years. The proposal will more than double the 12-year presumptive sentence to 25 years.

The proposal would have no increased costs for the first five years. In the FY 2016-17 biennium, the increased cost is estimated at $208,000. However, the proposal would also save the state some money over the long-term, as offenders who would’ve been civilly committed in the more expensive Minnesota Sex Offender Program would be kept in prison longer than under current law. Prison costs are currently $63 per day while civil commitment costs are $325 per day.

“Keeping these dangerous offenders in prison longer is a much better and more economical approach,” Pawlenty said.

Minnesota Sex Offender Program bonding proposal

Pawlenty is also calling on the legislature to include the Minnesota Sex Offender Program facility in Moose Lake in the 2010 capital investment bill to accommodate rapid growth in the number of civilly committed sex offenders. The Governor has proposed $89 million for completion of Phase II of the MSOP facility which includes construction of an additional 400-bed secure residential facility, including space for required treatment and life-safety infrastructure. If Minnesota courts continue to civilly commit sex offenders at current rates, current facilities will be full by the end of 2012.

“The need to keep sex offenders off of our streets is among our highest priorities,” Pawlenty said. “I am disappointed the DFL failed to include this important project in their bonding proposals.”

MSOP is a secure treatment program for civilly committed sex offenders. The program currently houses 552 dangerous sex offenders who have served their prison sentences but have been deemed by the courts to be too dangerous to be released. These sex offenders can only be released by the courts once they have demonstrated they have reduced their risk to offend and can be managed through intensive supervision in the community.