Dayton Proposes Extra Cash For State Sex Offender Program

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — An additional $7.2 million in state funds may help make changes to Minnesota's controversial treatment program for sex offenders.

That money would pay to evaluate residents to see if they're ready to be moved out of the state's high-security facilities. It would also cover the costs to move residents who pass evaluations to less restrictive locations.

Gov. Mark Dayton proposed the two-year funding in his budget framework released Tuesday.

Minnesota lawmakers have put off large-scale changes to the program while a federal judge is weighing its constitutionality. A group of residents sued the state in 2011, arguing the program is unconstitutional because it keeps clients locked up indefinitely without providing adequate treatment. Few residents have been released.