Proponents of the the sex offender legislation say law enforcement will be further armed with tools they need to keep the rate of returning sex offenders down. Photo courtesy of nyc.gov.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo took steps toward tougher restrictions for regulating sex offenders and their place in the community by signing three critical bills in August targeting the issue.
Three different bills were adopted, including one which mandates updated photos, another that will require a written transcript for parole interviews and a third which requires transparency within the State Education Department Office. All three bills address different and vital components and all of them serve to change how sex offenders information is tracked when they are released from jail as well as getting their info out to the public.
Under current state law, level 3 sex offenders those classified as high risk for repeat offense and a threat to public safety, and sexual predators are required to appear in front of law enforcement every 90 days to verify their address. The first piece of new legislation requires instead for updated pictures be taken during the scheduled interview if the offender’s appearance has changed or before 90 days is up, whichever comes first. Photos will then be forwarded to the Division of Criminal Justice Services. This allows law enforcement to quickly see the most up-to-date photo of an offender in case they commit another crime or if they escape from supervision.
Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder was a sponsor of the bill and explained that having updated images would enable residents to be more watchful of sex offenders that are living in their neighborhood.
“This legislation will close an important and dangerous loophole that enabled convicted sex offenders to change their appearances and hide within our community and around our families,” Goldfeder said. “Having updated photos of sex offenders gives residents the tools they need to be vigilant and deters offenders from repeating their actions.”
The second piece of legislation mandates that the Board of Parole is now required to record and write out a transcript of the interviews that are conducted with a sex offender before they are released to the public. That bill will help better determine how much of a risk an offender poses to the public before they are let out of jail.
And finally, the third bill now requires the State Education Department Office of Professional Discipline to tell police when they are looking into a sexual misconduct complaint against a licensed health care provider.
Cuomo said that these three bills will ensure better protection for the public against sex offenders. “These changes will ensure that offenders are carefully tracked with the goal of keeping sex offenders off the street when they pose a threat to society, as well as giving the, the opportunity to receive better treatment if they are able to live in the community without re-offending. I thank the sponsors of this legislation for joining with us to strengthen these procedures and helping to keep New York safe.”
By Luis Gronda
