Despite Ruling, Minnesota Sex Offenders Remain In Limbo

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Despite a sternly worded ruling from a federal judge that many of Minnesota's sex offenders who've served their sentences could be long overdue for release, they're likely to spend many more months — maybe even years — in the state's civil commitment program.

U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank ruled Wednesday that the Minnesota Sex Offender Program is an unconstitutionally "punitive system" that has failed to completely free anyone in more than 20 years. Yet Minnesota's political leaders appear to remain as unwilling as ever to fix it.

Gov. Mark Dayton's administration says it plans to defend the program's constitutionality. The attorney general's office is trying to appeal.

That likely means continued limbo for many of the more than 700 residents of the prison-like facilities in Moose Lake and St. Peter.