Hearing Set For Nov. 15 In Minn. Sex Offender Suit

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Lawyers have filed motions asking a federal judge to declare the Minnesota Sex Offender Program unconstitutional, move the people in it to less restrictive facilities and appoint a court officer to oversee the program.

The motions were filed Thursday as part of a class-action lawsuit on behalf of more than 600 sex offenders who've been committed to the secure treatment program indefinitely after completing their prison sentences. The program is under fire because only one person has ever been successfully released since it was created in 1994. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 15.

Deputy Human Services Commissioner Anne Barry says her department is making progress toward addressing concerns about the program.

An attorney for the plaintiffs says the program is essentially a life sentence.

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