End of Sentence Review Committee

• About
• Law Enforcement Notification
• Resources

About

The Department of Corrections and its partners strive to keep communities safe. One issue of community safety is managed through the registration and notification of sex offenders and kidnappers leaving state incarceration.

Per RCW 72.09.345, the purpose of the End of Sentence Review Committee (ESRC) is to recommend sex offender notification levels, review available release plans, and make appropriate referrals. The committee reviews incarcerated individuals preparing for release from state prisons, mental hospitals, or juvenile rehabilitation facilities who have been adjudicated, convicted, found not guilty by reason of insanity, or incompetent to stand trial for:

• A current sex offense or kidnapping/unlawful imprisonment offense that may require registration per RCW 9A.44.130.
• A current sexually violent offense as defined in RCW 71.09.020.
• Any other current offense with sexual elements/motivation when the offender has a prior sexually violent offense.

The committee uses the Static 99R, an actuarial risk assessment, as its principal means for recommending notification risk levels to local law enforcement upon their release. Registerable sex offenders are placed in one of three classifications:

• Level 1 – Low risk of sexual re-offense within the community at large. Sheriffs’ departments share information about them with other law enforcement agencies and may disclose information to the public upon request
• Level 2 – Moderate risk of sexual re-offense within the community at large. The Sheriffs’ departments may share information about them with schools, child care centers, businesses, neighbors and community groups near their expected residence or places where they are regularly found
• Level 3 – High risk of sexual re-offense within the community at large. In addition to the type of disclosures made for Level 2 sex offenders, Sheriffs’ departments can provide information about them to the public at large

The ESRC also makes recommendations involving individuals who appear to meet criteria for civil commitment under RCW 71.09 as a Sexually Violent Predator. ESRC also makes recommendations to the courts involving sexually violent predators. Learn more about Civil Commitment.

Due to the number of cases requiring review, the End of Sentence Review Committee includes three subcommittees, in addition to the primary committee, which meet monthly to review:

• Juvenile sex offenders
• Offenders who present a lower risk of sexual reoffense within the community at large, registerable kidnappers, offenders who have committed crimes against children and those who may be of interest to the Children's Administration or Development Disabilities Administration
• Sex offenders who may be referred for civil commitment as sexually violent predators

The ESRC consists of the representatives of state and local agencies that release sex offenders or are impacted by their release. Membership includes:

• Department of Corrections, which primarily incarcerates adult offenders and supervises those in the community under its jurisdiction
• Department of Social and Health Services which:
  • Operates Juvenile Rehabilitation which serves the state’s highest-risk youth
  • Operates Children’s Administration which protects abused and neglected children
  • Operates Aging and Long-Term Support Administration which serves adults with chronic illnesses or conditions and investigates reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults
  • Operates Developmental Disabilities Administration which serves people of all ages with developmental disabilities
  • Operates the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island and lesser restrictive facilities in the community for civilly committed sex offenders
  • Operates the State Psychiatric Hospitals which evaluates and provides inpatient treatment for individuals with serious or long-term mental illness
  • Operates a Victim/Witness Notification Program
• Local police and sheriff’s departments
• The Indeterminate Sentence Review Board (ISRB)

Law Enforcement Notification

Law Enforcement Notification (LEN) Specialists are responsible for preparing a detailed report on all cases requiring review by the End of Sentence Review Committee. The report will include information regarding the current offense, sex offense history, other criminal history, psychological history, treatment history, infractions during the current incarceration, employment history, adolescent conduct problems, and relationship history.

In addition, they make recommendations for additional conditions of community custody supervision as applicable. As part of the file review process, the Specialists conduct actuarial risk assessments utilizing the Static 99R .

The Specialists also prepare narratives known as Law Enforcement Alerts (LEAs) on cases where the offender is required to register due to a Kidnapping or Unlawful Imprisonment conviction (involving a minor who is not the offender’s child). LEAs are prepared on other serious violent offenses that involve sexual elements but sex offender registration is not required.

Prior to the offender’s release, the Department of Corrections will issue notification and these reviews will be shared with numerous other agencies. These notifications may be sent to the DSHS Children’s Administration or Developmental Disabilities Administration , law enforcement agencies, mental health authorities, and licensing agencies which issue certificates and other documents that could potentially give offenders access to vulnerable citizens.

Resources

Policies

Below are Department of Corrections (DOC) policies that apply to the End of Sentence Review Committee and Law Enforcement Notification.

• DOC Policy 320.110 Community Custody Board/.420 Hearings
• DOC Policy 350.200 Transition and Release
• DOC Policy 350.255 Registration Notification
• DOC Policy 350.500 End of Sentence Review / Sexually Violent Predator Civil Commitment
• DOC Policy 380.370 Sexually Violent Predator / Less Restrictive Alternative

Laws

Below are state laws (RCWs) that apply to and/or relate to the End of Sentence Review Committee and Law Enforcement Notification.

Revised Code of Washington (RCW)

• RCW 4.24.550 – Sex offenders and kidnapping offenders–Release of information to public–Web site.
• RCW 9A.40 – Kidnapping, Unlawful Imprisonment, Custodial Interference, Luring, Trafficking, and Coercion of Involuntary Servitude
• RCW 9A.44 – Sex Offenses
• RCW 9.68A – Sexual Exploitation of Children
• RCW 9.94A.507 – Sentencing of Sex Offenders.
• RCW 9.95.170 – Board to inform itself as to each convict–Records from Department of Corrections.
• RCW 9.95.420 – Sex offenders– End of sentence review – Victim input.
• RCW 71.09 – Sexually Violent Predators
• RCW 72.09.330 – Sex Offenders and Kidnapping Offenders–Registration–Notice to persons convicted of sex offenses and kidnapping offenses.
• RCW 72.09.340 – Supervision of sex offenders—Public safety—Policy for release plan evaluation and approval—Implementation, publicizing, notice—Rejection of residence locations of felony sex offenders of minor victims—Notice—Supervised visitation considerations.
• RCW 72.09.345 – Sex offenders–Release of information to protect public–End-of-sentence review committee–Assessment–Records access–Review, classification, referral of offenders–Issuance of narrative notices.

Publications

Below are Department of Corrections (DOC) publications that apply to End of Sentence Review Committee and Law Enforcement Notification.

• End of Sentence Review Committee & Law Enforcement Notification Report (pdf) 300-SR001
• End of Sentence Review Committee's Focus on Continuous Improvement 300-PO001