Denver – A task force investigating a breakdown in the state’s warning system for sexually violent predators recommended today that communities be automatically notified when such offenders are released from prison.
The panel also suggested changing the law to clarify who is responsible for assessing inmates to determine whether they are sexually violent predators.
Gov. Bill Owens convened the panel in June after the Colorado Department of Corrections acknowledged it had failed to warn communities whether previously released offenders were a threat to the public.
A 1999 state law requires the Department of Corrections to evaluate potential sexual predators in prison before they are released. The Denver Post reported in May that only two men had been identified as predators, even though more than 1,300 met the initial criteria.
The panel is expected to make more recommendations before a Nov. 1 deadline.
