Community Notification

Minnesota Statute 244.052 and 253D.32 require that public notification be given when a Level 3 registrant moves into a community. The Golden Valley Police Department is authorized by the State of Minnesota to conduct community notification meetings when an offender is living within the City. All offenders required to register as predatory offenders who have entered prison or a Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) state security hospital are assigned a Level 1, 2, or 3 when they leave the facility. Level 3 designation is considered the highest risk to reoffend.

Understanding Community Notification Statutes

The Minnesota Department of Corrections is obligated by Minnesota Statute 244.052 and 253D.32 to provide a community notification through its website when any individual is provisionally discharged and/or a civilly committed individual is released into a community, regardless of their risk level, while the local Police Departments are permitted to use their discretion. 

This provision may result in the Minnesota Department of Corrections website’s Public Registrant Search page to differ from Golden Valley’s Community Notification page. While these pages may differ, Golden Valley ensures safety to the public with acknowledgement through the resources provided on the City’s website, the police department’s enforcement, and its partnerships with various organizations within the community.

Community Meetings

Standard public meetings, when sex offenders are released, give citizens information about the notification law, the offender, the offender's rights and restrictions, and what people can do to make themselves, and their families, safer.

Community Notification Act

The legislation was passed in 1997 so members of the public have adequate notice and information about a sex offender who has been or is about to be released near them.

Community notification is not intended to instill or increase fear in the community. The goal is to provide necessary information to educate everyone regarding personal safety.

Community Partners

Damascus Way is a reentry center nonprofit organization located in three different locations in Minnesota, including Golden Valley. Damascus Way in Golden Valley partners with the Department of Corrections, the Minnesota Sex Offender Program, the Golden Valley Police Department, and other organizations to provide guidance during offender reentry and recovery following release. 

Damascus Way is guided by the following mission: “Damascus Way provides reentry and recovery services with a Gospel Centered approach to empower people in overcoming recidivism and substance use. Our core service model supports the need for recovery, community, connection, employment, and housing support.” The Golden Valley location prides themselves “through [their] programming and community reintegration ties, [their] peer recovery specialists and reentry coordinators work to forge relationships with [their] men that are both positive and transformative. These initiatives are concentrated on enduring connections with employment, housing options, and community connections. This includes local churches, recovery ministries, recovery centers, and other non-profits that may support men in recovery and reentry in a variety of ways. [Their] services also include volunteer donations, mentorship opportunities, and other services like transportation help.”

Additional Resources

Learn more by exploring the following websites.