DENVER – Attorney General John Suthers today convened the first meeting of the newly-created Governor’s Task Force on Sexually Violent Predators.
"There is a consensus among the Task Force that the current system must do better at meeting the needs of our community," said Attorney General Suthers. "I look forward to working with the Task Force to ensure that current laws and regulations are being followed and I am confident that we will provide the Governor with recommendations to better protect the public from sexually violent predators."
The Governor’s Task Force on Sexually Violent Predators was created through an Executive Order issued Thursday, June 16 to identify and address deficiencies in the identification and notification of sexually violent predators. This group is further charged with submitting recommended statutory changes to the Governor by November 1, 2005.
In today’s meeting, Attorney General Suthers appointed a sub-committee, chaired by Jeanne Smith, Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice, to discuss possible legislative changes for the Task Force to consider at it’s next meeting on August 26.
The Attorney General asked representatives from the Judicial Department and the Department of Corrections to provide the Task Force by July 15, written assurances that existing notification laws are being properly implemented.
The Governor’s Task Force on Sexually Violent Predators is chaired by Attorney General Suthers and includes the following members:
Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, Joe Ortiz
Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, Joe Morales
Executive Director of the Colorado District Attorney's Council, Bob Grant
State Public Defender, David Kaplan
Chairman of the Parole Board, Al Stanley
Representatives from the Governor's Office - Jon Anderson, Chief Legal Counsel, and Mary Woodard, Senior Policy Analyst
Public Policy Director of the Colorado Organization for Victims Assistance, Terry Livermore
Treatment provider, Colorado Department of Corrections, Joe Stommel
Director of the Sex Offender Management Board, Jill McFadden
Lafayette Chief of Police, Paul Schultz
Three members appointed by the Chief Justice including Tom Quinn, Director, Division of Probation Services and two others to be determined.