Fond du Lac Sex Offender List

Community Notification occurs through a variety of means and at several levels. Provisions within the law require DOC to maintain a database of registered sex offenders. Information stored in the database is accessible on a limited basis by victims, neighborhood watch programs and the general public. All information available in the database is accessible by law enforcement via the CIB/TIME system or through direct request to the DOC Sex Offender Registry Program. Additionally, DOC provides special notification to law enforcement about offenders that meet the criteria who are scheduled to be released from prison or mental health institution. This notification is called Special Bulletin Notification.

SPECIAL BULLETIN NOTIFICATION

Special Bulletin Notification (SBN) is an active, written notification process whereby law enforcement officials, in the county and areas of the offender's residence, employment or school enrollment, will receive detailed information from the DOC SORP on a specific offender prior to their scheduled release from confinement.

Wisconsin law does not require special bulletin notifications for all offenders released from prison or a mental health facility. The overall purpose of the SBN is to highlight those cases that may pose a significant risk to the community. The SBN provides advanced notification to law enforcement officials, as well as information regarding the offender's offense pattern and specialized rules of supervision. In addition, the Bulletin serves as a mechanism to begin a local decision-making process to determine the level, scope and method of community notification, if determined necessary.

WHAT CASES REQUIRE OR WARRANT A SPECIAL BULLETIN?

The law mandates that an SBN shall be provided to law enforcement under the following cases:

All individuals committed under Chapter 980 (Sexually Violent Persons) who are to be placed into the community under supervised release and
All cases where the offender has been convicted of a sex offense, as defined by crimes requiring registration, on two (2) or more separate occasions (2-Strike Cases). A previous conviction can include a conviction from another state that is comparable to one of the crimes requiring registration. Offenses/Dispositions that do NOT constitute a strike include:
- Juvenile adjudications
- Read-ins
- Convictions that have been reversed, set aside, vacated or pardoned

The law does provide discretion to the Department of Corrections and Health and Family Services in determining if an SBN is warranted for those cases not requiring mandatory bulletins.

GENERAL PROCESS AND PROCEDURES

Offenders approaching release from a DOC institution who are required to have an SBN distributed will be identified through the End of Confinement Review Board (ECRB) approximately 6 months prior to the offender's scheduled release date. Following determination the following staff will receive an advanced notice via memorandum:

Public Information Officer
Institution Warden or Superintendent
DOC Administrators
Community Corrections Regional Chief
Community Corrections Field Supervisor
Assigned Community Corrections Agent

Many of these cases will be undergoing a Special Purpose Evaluation (SPE) to determine if they meet the criteria for Civil Commitment under Chapter 980.

The advance notice will be distributed following CIB/NCIC verification that the case is a 2-strike case.

Approximately 2 months prior to the offender's scheduled release date and following the SPE determination, the above noted staff will receive a final notification memorandum from SORP indicating the Department's intentions to distribute a Special Bulletin Notification.

The DOC Bureau of Offender Programs (BOP) is responsible for preparing the SBN when an offender is released from prison to the community, to a detainer, or to confinement in a Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) mental health institution pending Sexually Violent Person commitment proceedings. The assigned agent is to prepare a SBN Release plan to provide information necessary for construction of the SBN. The DHFS is responsible for preparing the SBN when an offender is released from a DHFS Institution.

Offenders referred for possible commitment under the Sexually Violent Person law may have two SBNs issued--one when transferred from prison to a DHFS institution and a second when the offender is released from a mental health institution.

Approximately 30 days prior to the offender's scheduled release date, DOC or DHFS will disseminate the SBN to law enforcement agencies in those areas where the offender will reside, work and/or attend school.

CONTENT OF THE SBN

The SBN contains the following information about the offender:

Physical description, including a photograph
Sexual Offense History
Brief description of sexual offenses
Release plan supervision rules
Offense Pattern Behavior(s)

LEVELS OF NOTIFICATION

Upon receipt of the SBN, law enforcement agencies in the jurisdiction(s) where the offender is to be released are responsible for determining, on a case-by-case basis, what level of community notification is to occur. The three levels of notification are as follows:

LEVEL 1:	Limited to Law Enforcement
LEVEL 2:	Targeted Notification - Including specific groups/facilities serving populations related to the Offender's identified pattern of behavior. Such groups may include schools, neighbors, community groups, day care centers, parks, recreation areas, libraries etc.
LEVEL 3:	Expanded Notification - Notification to the public in general. A variety of methods may be used including door-to-door notification, media releases, and/or community meetings.

The ultimate decision for determining what level of notification will occur is the responsibility of law enforcement. However, other agencies/groups, including DOC, may be involved in the decision-making process. In many communities law enforcement agencies utilize a Community Notification Core Team to assist in decision-making process.

COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION CORE TEAMS

The purpose of the Community Notification Core Team is summarized as follows:

To review and discuss case information relative to the specific sex offender who is the subject of the SBN
To provide recommendations to assist law enforcement in decision making relative to the level, scope and methods for notification specific to the offender.

The law does not require the formation of the Core Notification Team. When law enforcement agencies choose to utilize a team, it is the responsibility of law enforcement agencies within each county or jurisdiction to develop this team. However, DOC staff and others will assist in this process.

The composition of these teams may vary from county to county across the state. However, it is recommended that, at a minimum, the team include representatives from the Sheriff's departments and police departments within the county, as well as representatives from local or regional DOC Community Corrections, including the supervising agent and field supervisor.

Other team members may include representatives from the district attorney's office, crime victim/witness unit, school district, county human services, neighborhood watch captain, campus police, etc.

Decisions relative to community notification and release of information about SBN offenders are the responsibility of law enforcement agencies. DOC may assist in this process but may not participate in notification beyond the level determined by law enforcement agencies.

However, as part of the case management process, Community Corrections staff may share information about the offender with the offender's significant other, landlords, neighbors, employers, etc., if it is determined that providing the information is in the best interest of public safety and/or the offender's rehabilitation.

IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY

The law provides immunity from liability for public officials to provide the protection necessary to allow reasonable decision-making. Officials performing notification under the provisions of this law are immune from civil liability for any good faith act or omission regarding the release of information authorized under this law. Immunity does not extend to a person whose act or omission constitutes gross negligence or involves reckless, wanton, or intentional misconduct.

PENALTIES FOR MISUSE OF INFORMATION

The law includes a penalty enhancement provision to address possible misuse of information in order to reduce the potential for vigilantism or harassment of any registrant or his/her family.

If a person commits a crime using information disclosed to him or her from the registry, the penalties may be increased as follows:

In the case of a misdemeanor, the maximum fine prescribed by law for the crime may be increased by not more than $1,000 and the maximum term of imprisonment prescribed by law for the crime may be increased by not more than six months.
In the case of a felony, the maximum term of imprisonment prescribed by law for the crime may be increased by not more than five years.

Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Information is available at: 1-800-398-2403 or at:

http://offender.doc.state.wi.us/public/

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