Gregoire seeks sex offender crackdown

OLYMPIA — Gov. Chris Gregoire and a state task force on Wednesday proposed greatly expanding community tracking of sex offenders, including broader use of DNA testing and ankle-bracelet monitoring.

The governor and task force sent the Legislature a thick set of recommendations for cracking down on child sex predators and other sex offenders. Some of the new monitoring requirements are likely to draw civil-liberties lawsuits, but are important new safeguards, Gregoire said.

The proposals include getting DNA samples for all registered sex offenders and expanding the new electronic monitoring program to level 3 offenders who have already completed community supervision.

Recommendations also include a separate new sentencing system for sex offenders, stronger programs to track offenders in the community, more victims’ advocates, and better communications among the courts.

Gregoire said the price tag isn’t known yet, but that public safety has to be one of state government’s highest priorities.

The governor recently authorized spending $400,000 to begin electronic monitoring of some of the worst sex offenders. Eight offenders are on the program now in five counties, King, Pierce, Thurston, Clark and Spokane, and about 50 are expected by year’s end.

The Democratic governor appointed the panel in response to the case of Terapon Adhahn, a convicted sex offender who pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, rape and murder charges in the July abduction and slaying of 12-year-old Zina Linnik of Tacoma.

The group is headed by Kitsap County Prosecutor Russ Hauge, and includes representatives of law enforcement, sentencing experts, sex assault programs and victims’ groups.

Gregoire called the panel’s work “very thoughtful and thorough,” and pledged to work with state agencies and the Legislature to implement the main recommendations.

She said she’ll work with sheriffs and police to verify the addresses of registered sex offenders, to use in-person home visits to make sure they are living where they’ve reported to authorities.

She also asked the state Sentencing Guidelines Commission to draw up a plan for a separate sentencing grid for sex offenders, using community protection as the prime consideration. This might include tougher sentences for some criminals and more stringent community monitoring.

“As a mother and as governor, protecting our children and communities is one of my top priorities,” Gregoire said. “This is not a report that will sit on a shelf collecting dust. We will take immediate actions to enhance public safety.”

Some of the recommendations came from Rep. Skip Priest, R-Federal Way, and his Republican colleagues, and from the governor. Gregoire, for instance, recommended the state DNA database of all sex offenders and the addition of low-risk offenders to the online offender registry.

Priest welcomed the proposals, but said, “We must be vigilant and hold the Legislature accountable to act in 2008. The short 60-day legislative session has so many distractions that these critical public safety measures could either fall through the cracks or be delayed.”

The American Civil Liberties Union was studying the proposals and withheld comment Wednesday.

The task force said sentences have been increased since Adhahn’s first offense 17 years ago, as have victim services. The state should allow tough new 2006 sentencing laws to work before making any sweeping changes in offender sentencing, the report said, notwithstanding the recommendation for a separate new sentencing grid.

The Hauge panel also warned that sex crimes can’t be eradicated.

“We believe it is important for the public to understand that there are no ‘magic bullet’ solutions to prevent future sex offenses,” the report said. “Unfortunately, we live in an imperfect world and are not able to prevent all crimes. What we can do is make our best efforts at prevention, based on the totality of all information and research we currently have available.”

Proposal highlights

DNA: Samples would be taken from all current and future registered sex offenders, both as an investigative tool and to deter repeat crime. A lawsuit is expected if this recommendation passes the Legislature.

Home checks: State would help finance local law enforcement’s in-person address verification for all registered sex offenders. Authorities currently try to keep track of the whereabouts of only the worst offenders.

GPS monitoring: Satellite monitoring of more sex offenders, including those who committed their crime going back to 2001, not just in the past year. Another potential use would be for level 3 offenders, the most serious, who are transients. Only about 3,000 of the state’s estimated 20,000 registered sex offenders are being actively supervised by the Department of Corrections.

Victim services: Broader services for victims of sexual assault, including community prevention programs and expansion of rape crisis centers.

Registration crackdown: It’s already a crime for a sex offender to fail to register in their community of residence. The task force suggests adding level 1 offenders and their pictures to a statewide notification Web site if they fail to register in a timely and accurate way.

Court communication: Conviction records in district and municipal court would be merged with electronic information available to superior courts. The Administrator for the Courts is already working on a common system.

Sentencing grid: Lifetime supervision of sex offenders could become a piece of the sentencing. The panel suggests a separate sentencing system for sex offenders, dealing not only with the prison term but tracking requirements back in the home community. The Legislature previously created a separate grid for drug offenders, aimed primarily at forcing people to get treatment.

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