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Minnesota Sex Offender Program marks 30 years of failure and injustice • Minnesota Reformer [1]

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Date: 2024-08-30

As Minnesota marks 30 years of the Minnesota Sex Offender Program this week, let’s think of its true impact: a waste of vast resources under the guise of public safety.

MSOP supposedly provides residential treatment after prison for those convicted of sex crimes deemed too dangerous to release into the public, but it is actually an unconstitutional nightmare — a life sentence based on what someone might do.

MSOP was never meant to be a permanent solution, but the reality is most of the more than 700 civilly committed people will probably never be released. Just 25 have been fully released, 109 conditionally released, and more than 94 have died in custody.

MSOP cries out for a serious reevaluation of how the state addresses sexual violence. Among the 20 states with similar programs, Minnesota is an outlier, with the highest per capita rate of commitment and one of the lowest rates of discharge in the nation.

This issue is personal for me. My brother has been confined in MSOP for 19 years. And as a survivor of sexual violence, I understand the need for effective measures. But MSOP has failed to deliver justice or safety. We should sunset MSOP, and reinvest the funds in proven and promising approaches to preventing sexual violence.

This year, Minnesota will spend over $120 million on MSOP, which could be much better spent on preventing sexual violence and supporting survivors. I know first-hand that there are not enough resources after harm has occurred, and there are not enough resources to prevent and educate people in the first place. The program is funded by taxpayers, but many do not understand what they are paying for or what options are more effective.

Research suggests MSOP has no discernible impact on the incidence of sexual violence in Minnesota.

Not only does it not stop sexual violence, MSOP has continued failing to provide rehabilitation. This causes feelings of hopelessness and despair that I have witnessed directly from people held there, including my brother. MSOP touts concerns about their “therapeutic environment,” but it sounds like that environment has never existed.

Missed opportunities for success

The millions put into MSOP each year takes from funding that could be used on more effective approaches to preventing sexual violence.

An April report from Mitchell Hamline School of Law lays out how the funds could be redirected to community-based prevention and treatment programs that have been proven to reduce recidivism and keep people safe.

Based on CDC sexual violence prevention strategies and dozens of studies, I believe reinvesting MSOP’s current budget would significantly reduce sexual violence in Minnesota.

Community-based prevention programs, early intervention and support services for survivors like myself could have made Minnesota a leader in reducing sexual violence, instead of prolonging a costly and ineffective system that does little to nothing to protect the public. This is why the report calls for moving that money from the ineffective to the effective, to “sunset and reinvest MSOP.”

MSOP’s 30-year history proves the danger of policies driven by fear instead of evidence. The results show MSOP is not the solution to sexual violence. Minnesota must invest in strategies that truly protect the public, support survivors, and uphold justice and dignity for both victims and people confined there. The anniversary of MSOP is a time for reflection — and for change.

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[1] Url: https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/30/minnesota-sex-offender-program-marks-30-years-of-failure-and-injustice/

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