Minnesota Agencies

The Sex Offender Civil Commitment Advisory Task Force was created to examine and provide Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson with recommendations on the processes relating to the civil commitment of sex offenders in Minnesota. The task force's work will concentrate on three topics: the civil commitment and referral process for sex offenders; sex offender civil commitment options that are less restrictive than placement in a secure treatment facility; and, the standards and processes for the reduction in custody for civilly committed sex offenders.

The task force is required to produce its first set of recommendations by December 3, 2012.

On August 15, U.S. District Court Chief Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan ordered the creation of a 15-member task force to scrutinize the troubled Minnesota Sex Offender Program. The directive stems from a pending class-action lawsuit alleging that the conditions of confinement for the state's 668 civilly committed sex offenders are unconstitutional. The task force is supposed to include current or former state legislators, law enforcement personnel, prosecutors and sex offender treatment professionals, among others. Panelists were to be named on October 5. The group's first meeting was scheduled to take place a week later.

Retired Minnesota Supreme Court chief justice Eric Magnuson was appointed to lead the task force it was announced October 8, 2012.

1. Hon. Eric J. Magnuson, Chief Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court, retired (Chair)
2. Hon. James M. Rosenbaum, Judge, United States District Court, retired (Vice Chair)
3. Representative Jim Abler, Chair, Health and Human Services Finance Committee, Minnesota House of Representatives
4. Donna Dunn, Executive Director, Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault
5. Hon. Kathleen R. Gearin, Judge, Ramsey County District Court
6. Eric S. Janus, President and Dean, William Mitchell College of Law
7. Gerald T. Kaplan, Executive Director, Alpha Human Services
8. Representative Tina Liebling, Minority Lead, Health and Human Services Reform Committee, Minnesota House of Representatives
9. Senator Warren Limmer, Chair, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, Minnesota Senate
10.Senator Tony Lourey, Ranking Minority Member, Health and Human Services Committee, Minnesota Senate
11.Ryan B. Magnus, Partner, Jones and Magnus Attorneys at Law
12.Hon. Paul A. Nelson, Judge, Chippewa County District Court
13.Roberta C. Opheim, Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
14.Mark A. Ostrem, Olmsted County Attorney
15.Nancy Schouweiler, Chair, Dakota County Board of Commissioners; Chair, Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, National Association of Counties

The above appointments are effective October 10, 2012.
The following individuals are appointed, effective October 10, 2012, as ex officio members of the Task Force:
1. Kelly Lyn Mitchell, Executive Director, Sentencing Guidelines Commission
2. Tom Roy, Commissioner of Corrections
3. Dr. Michael D. Thompson, President, Minnesota Chapter of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
4. James D. Franklin, Executive Director, Minnesota Sherriff's Association

Chair: Eric Magnuson (October, 2012 - )