Colorado sex offender program to change monitoring protocols?

Many communities have a strong opposition to convicted sex offenders moving in after they have completed their prison sentences. They are worried that they offenders may have a propensity to reoffend, making it very difficult for these individuals to rejoin society.

In Colorado, those convicted of certain sex crimes may face significant challenges after being released. The state has long considered these types of offenders to be “incurable,” meaning that many of these individuals receive lengthy sentences, even for some minor offenses. These offenders are then heavily monitored when in the community, drawing even more scrutiny from local officials and residents in the cities where they decide to live.

An audit of the Colorado sex offender program by the Central Coast Clinical and Forensic Psychology Services has criticized the state for the way it handled these types of crimes. The group believes that some offenders are being mislabeled as sexually violent predators, leading to situations where treatment is being over-administered to offenders who may not need it.

The state may have to change the way it classifies certain offenses, in order to lower monitoring costs and to be able to ensure that the most dangerous individuals receive the treatment that they need. This could have a major impact on those convicted of these types of crimes. However, even with this report, some communities are taking steps to monitor these offenders more closely.

In Fort Collins, police have announced that they have recently joined the Sex Offender Tracking and Registration website. This allows residents an opportunity to search a database of offenders and learn where they may be residing in the city and determine how close these individuals may be to homes or schools in the region. Not all offenders are listed on the site, as some who have been convicted of lesser crimes may not be included, but residents may obtain the names of those offenders by going to the police department and paying a small fee.

As the state considers ways to modify its sex offender program, those who have been accused of one of these types of crimes need to know that they are in serious trouble. The community will make it very difficult for these offenders to try to clear their names. These individuals need to take immediate steps toward building a strong defense to protect themselves and their reputations.

If you have been charged with a sex crime, you must contact an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. You may feel like you should discuss the details of the case with police, but you need to know that they are not on your side. They want you to talk, because you are giving them valuable evidence that they can use to support their allegations. Your attorney can advise you on the decisions that may arise at this time, and help you potentially avoid being convicted of one of these crimes.