The Minnesota Sex Offender Program is “clearly broken” and in need of repair. That’s according to a federal judge who ruled this month on a class action lawsuit, brought against the state, by clients of the program.
WCCO’s Susie Jones takes us “Inside the Razor Wire” with a series of reports on the Minnesota Sex Offender Program.
MOOSE LAKE, Minn. (WCCO) – Michael, an offender who molested a 10-year-old girl in 1998, served time in prison before being let out on probation in 2004.
Then after five years of treatment on the outside, he violated parole and lied about it. He was then civilly committed.
“It was incidental contact with a minor on a fishing dock. It was a touching on a leg,” Michael said. “The nature of my offending (incident) involves indecent exposure. There was some contact.”
Michael said a day at Moose Lake is much like it was in prison. He takes part in therapy with a core group of men who he says keeps him accountable.
“They know what I’m thinking. They know when I am trying to manipulate. They know all the tricks of the trade,” he said.
They are always being watched, and evaluated by staff members.
“They know what we do with our spare time, whether we are constructive or manipulative or abusive. All those things are documented,” he said.
He has little hope of ever getting out, because he says the system is broken.
“I would very much like to get out,” Michael said. “I just want people to understand that confining people indefinitely is wrong. There is a reason they call this place Guantanamo North.”
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A woman on the outside has been keeping close track of the Minnesota Sex Offender program — Linda Walker, the mother of Dru Sjodin. Tomorrow, Walker will share her insights about the mark a sex offender and murderer left on her family.
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