Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Office of the Revisor of Statutes

611A.06 RIGHT TO NOTICE OF RELEASE.

Subdivision 1.Notice of release required.

(a) The commissioner of corrections or other custodial authority shall make a good faith effort to notify the victim that the offender is to be released from imprisonment or incarceration, including release on extended furlough and for work release and release from a juvenile correctional facility, or if the offender's custody status is reduced. These notices shall only be provided to victims who have submitted a written request for notification to the head of the county correctional facility in which the offender is confined, or if committed to the Department of Corrections, submitted a written request for this notice to the commissioner of corrections or electronic request through the Department of Corrections electronic victim notification system. The good faith effort to notify the victim must occur prior to the offender's release or when the offender's custody status is reduced. For a victim of a felony crime against the person for which the offender was sentenced to imprisonment for more than 18 months, the good faith effort to notify the victim must occur 60 days before the offender's release.

(b) The commissioner of human services shall make a good faith effort to notify the victim in writing that the offender is to be released from confinement in a facility due to incompetency, mental illness, or mental deficiency, or commitment under section 253B.18 or chapter 253D if the victim has submitted a written request for notification to the executive director of the facility in which the individual is confined.

Subd. 1a.Notice of expungement required.

The prosecuting authority with jurisdiction over an offense for which expungement is being sought shall make a good faith effort to notify a victim that the expungement is being sought if: (1) the victim has mailed to the prosecuting authority with jurisdiction over an offense for which expungement is being sought a written request for this notice, or (2) the victim has indicated on a request for notice of expungement submitted under subdivision 1 a desire to be notified in the event the offender seeks an expungement for the offense.

A copy of any written request for a notice of expungement request received by the commissioner of corrections or other custodial authority shall be forwarded to the prosecutorial authority with jurisdiction over the offense to which the notice relates. The prosecutorial authority complies with this section upon mailing a copy of an expungement petition relating to the notice to the address which the victim has most recently provided in writing.

Subd. 2.Contents of notice.

The notice given to a victim of a crime against a person must include the conditions governing the offender's release, and either the identity of the corrections agent who will be supervising the offender's release or a means to identify the court services agency that will be supervising the offender's release. The commissioner or other custodial authority complies with this section upon mailing the notice of impending release to the victim at the address which the victim has most recently provided to the commissioner or authority in writing, or by providing electronic notice to the victim who requested this notice through the Department of Corrections electronic victim notification system.

Subd. 3.Notice of escape.

If an offender escapes from imprisonment or incarceration, including from release on extended furlough or work release, or from any facility described in subdivision 1, the commissioner or other custodial authority shall make all reasonable efforts to notify a victim who has requested notice of the offender's release under subdivision 1 within six hours after discovering the escape and shall also make reasonable efforts to notify the victim within 24 hours after the offender is apprehended.

Subd. 3a.Offender location.

(a) Upon the victim's written or electronic request and if the victim and offender have been household or family members as defined in section 518B.01, subdivision 2, paragraph (b), the commissioner of corrections or the commissioner's designee shall disclose to the victim of an offender convicted of a qualified domestic violence-related offense as defined in section 609.02, subdivision 16, notification of the city and five-digit zip code of the offender's residency upon release from a Department of Corrections facility, unless:

(1) the offender is not under correctional supervision at the time of the victim's request;

(2) the commissioner or the commissioner's designee does not have the city or zip code; or

(3) the commissioner or the commissioner's designee reasonably believes that disclosure of the city or zip code of the offender's residency creates a risk to the victim, offender, or public safety.

(b) All identifying information regarding the victim including, but not limited to, the notification provided by the commissioner or the commissioner's designee is classified as private data on individuals as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 12, and is accessible only to the victim.

(c) This subdivision applies only where the offender is serving a prison term for a qualified domestic violence-related offense committed against the victim seeking notification.

Subd. 4.Private data.

All identifying information regarding the victim, including the victim's request and the notice provided by the commissioner or custodial authority, is classified as private data on individuals as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 12, and is accessible only to the victim.

Subd. 5.Definition.

As used in this section, "crime against the person" means a crime listed in section 611A.031.

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes