New Law Expands Availability of Sex Offender Information.

On June 23, 2006 the Governor signed into law legislation which increases the amount of information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders as follows:

All level 2 sex offenders will now be included in the Subdirectory on the Division of Criminal Justice Services' public website, in addition to level 3 offenders who have been listed in the website's Subdirectory since 2000. The exact residence addresses of level 2 offenders and employment addresses, if available, will be listed. The 8,500 level 2 offenders will be posted on the DCJS public website by mid-July.

Prior to this new law, law enforcement could not provide community notification on level 1 offenders. Law enforcement agencies now will be able to provide community notification regarding level 1 offenders, similar to what is currently allowed for level 2 offenders. Information that now can be provided by law enforcement on both level 1 and level 2 offenders includes a name, photograph, approximate address by zip code, offense description and special probation or parole conditions. DCJS is currently updating the Community Notification Guidelines which are posted in the Sex Offender Registry suite on eJusticeNY.

Callers to the 800 Information Line operated by the Division of Criminal Justice Services now may obtain the same information regarding a level 1 offender that they previously were able to obtain regarding a level 2 offender. Such information includes confirmation that an individual is a registered sex offender, offense description, approximate address by zip code and special probation or parole conditions.

The Mount Pleasant Police Department will be updating the web-site in the near future to include level 1 sex offenders in town.

Lt. Brian Fanelli

Please note that on July 17, 2006 the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York modified a stay issued in the continuing Doe v. Pataki litigation and determined that the expanded community notification provisions applicable to level 1 and level 2 offenders, including the posting of level 2 offenders on the Subdirectory, cannot be applied to members of the Doe v. Pataki class. Accordingly, while the modified stay is in effect, level 2 sex offenders who are members of the Doe v. Pataki class cannot be included in the Subdirectory and law enforcement cannot perform community notification on level 1 offenders in the Doe v. Pataki class. DCJS is in the process of making the appropriate database changes. In the interim, if there is any question regarding whether an offender is a member of the Doe v. Pataki class, please call the Sex Offender Registry.