FISCAL NOTE



FUND(S):

0453

Sources of Revenue:

General Fund

Legislation creates:

Neither Program nor Fund



Fiscal Note Summary


Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.


In order to implement theses changes to the Sex Offender Registration Act, we estimate it will require an increase in staff as follows: 26 uniformed officers 1 attorney 2 paralegals 1 Criminal Records Supervisor I 6 Office Assistant IIIs The officers will be assigned to each risk assessment committee for all 24 jail systems and additional limited mental health facilities. The attorney and legal staff will be needed to receive assessment reports for all offenders from all facilities and to determine those that need reassessing. The Criminal Records Supervisor and office assistants will be used to provide criminal history data to all committees, notification to the public within 5 business days and to notify the victims and witnesses as well.



Fiscal Note Detail


Effect of Proposal Fiscal Year
2010
Increase/Decrease
(use"-")
2011
Increase/Decrease
(use"-")
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation)
1. Estmated Total Cost 0 2,666,046 0
Personal Services 0 1,479,442 0
Current Expenses 0 40,560 0
Repairs and Alterations 0 0 0
Assets 0 500,000 0
Other 0 646,044 0
2. Estimated Total Revenues 0 0 0


Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):


See Fiscal Note summary.



Memorandum


This bill does not address the risk assessment of those offenders who are given a suspended sentence and placed on probation. It removes approximately 60-70 percent of the offenders currently accessible via the Internet. It requires the State Police to disseminate information based upon notification from the Division of Corrections, Regional Jails or the Dept. of Health and Human Resources. It has the potential to create extra unnecessary notification or give wrong information - such as the offender's residence. It is impossible to implement the notification requirement for inpatient offenders - there is no way to track their daily status. The timeframes are unrealistic for compiling and disseminating offender information. It does not take into account registered offenders nor offenders not incarcerated or placed on probation. The implementation of the bill works to reduce information currently available to WV residents, counters the national movement to make offenders more accountable and creates a costly bureaucratic system that serves to provide no benefit to the safety and security of WV residents.



    Person submitting Fiscal Note: Ron Twohig, Comptroller
    Email Address: rtwohig@wvsp.state.wv.us