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American Morning
Legislative Conflict Limits Parole Time for Colorado Sex Offenders
Aired June 26, 2001 - 11:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to start, though, with hundreds of sex offenders in Colorado could be winning their freedom. Under a new state Supreme Court ruling, sex offenders cannot serve parole terms longer than the time left on their prison sentences. Despite concern about this ruling, state officials say there is no need for the public to panic.
We get more on the story from reporter Bill Keating with our affiliate KDVR.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL KEATING, KDVR REPORTER (voice-over): While four-year-old Kevin gets dizzy from swinging, his mom is getting dizzy with concern because within a month, more than 100 sex offenders will likely be freed from Colorado prison, moving back into communities and perhaps into Deahdra Fischer's neighborhood.
DEAHDRA FISCHER, PARENT: It's going to be scary. The fact they've done it once, who says they're not going to do it again.
KEN SALAZAR, COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL: We are not talking about a mass exodus of people.
KEATING: Colorado's attorney general lost his argument with the state Supreme Court. If he doesn't appeal, nearly 400 sex offenders would be freed from supervision, which includes 250 taken off parole. And as a parent, he, too, shares some concern.
SALAZAR: The sex offenders we know are criminals that recommit.
KEATING (on camera): But state leaders don't think you should now suddenly and excessively stress out over this, because 1998's Lifetime Sex Offender act is still in effect. That requires every sex offender to notify police whenever he or she moves into a new neighborhood, plus undergo regular treatment as well as a lifetime of supervision.
(voice-over): As a parent, Fischer can only watch her kid closely, keep an eye out for trouble and make a common wish when it comes to sex offenders who have served time.
FISCHER: I hope they don't move into this neighborhood. (END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Kirk Mitchell, a reporter with "The Denver Post," joining us now from Denver to talk about this ruling and what might lie ahead. Kirk, good morning, thanks for joining us.
KIRK MITCHELL, "THE DENVER POST": Good morning.
KAGAN: Now, explain to us again how this came to be?
MITCHELL: Originally, what happened was that the Colorado state legislature has passed a series of laws addressing sex offenders, and those laws have conflicted. Now the legislature -- the trend has been to pass ever-tougher laws against sex offenders to keep them longer in prison and keep them on parole longer.
But in the course of trying to pass tougher laws, they passed a law that actually took them back to an earlier period when there were great limits to the amount time sex offenders could serve on parole.
KAGAN: So, we're only talking about a specific window of people who were convicted in a certain amount of time.
MITCHELL: Right, sex offenders convicted between 1993 and 1998. After 1998, all sex offenders have to serve lifetime parole which also gives you an idea of the direction the legislature has been going in. They want to have these offenders on parole as long as they can.
KAGAN: Right, well, it gives me an idea of what the environment is there in Colorado. I imagine that there's outrage from the community.
MITCHELL: Yes, that's the impression I get, is that the victims of these offenses are outraged, and there's a question about whether all of them will be contacted before some of these sex offenders are released. So, there is concern in that direction.
KAGAN: Oh, so that might not even happen? I mean, it could work that way that if you're a victim that you wouldn't even be notified before your offender was released from prison?
MITCHELL: In many cases, the victims, they have an opportunity to notify the Department of Corrections that they want to be on a list so that a change in -- when a prisoner is released from prison that they will be notified.
KAGAN: Right.
MITCHELL: But many victims didn't put their names on the list...
KAGAN: Oh, OK.
MITCHELL: ... and the Department of Correction is scrambling to find all of them.
KAGAN: And quickly, is this a done deal or is there any recourse? We heard in the piece that the attorney general might appeal this. Is there any indication whether he will or not?
MITCHELL: There's actually two cases involved: one involving offenders from '93 to '96 and another from '96 to '98. The group from '96 and '98. he has more opportunity to appeal because in that case, the Supreme Court is making its first decision, and they could ask for a rehearing. But in the earlier group, they have less opportunity because this was a request by the attorney general for a new hearing.
KAGAN: And if nothing happens, when does this happen? When would these people be released?
MITCHELL: The attorney general said that as early as this week, some of the offenders who are in prison could be released. Now, these are the offenders that were on parole and were revoked. They violated conditions of their parole, and so they were released, but the new ruling says that they shouldn't have been on parole in the first place.
KAGAN: They should have been done. They served their time and they should be allowed to go on with their lives. Kirk Mitchell with "The Denver Post," thanks for helping us understand the story a little bit better. We appreciate it.
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