Man strapped his GPS monitor on a dummy before escaping civil commitment center
You almost have to root for this guy…
A 53 year old man managed to escape from the Minnesota Sex Offender Treatment Program in St. Peter by strapping his GPS ankle monitor onto a dummy in his bed. The guy had been civilly committed to the facility since October 2011, remaining there indefinitely more than 14 years after his sentence had expired. After his escape, he was spotted on surveillance footage leaving the facility and was later found in Missouri, where he was arrested.
Nobody is condoning escape, but after spending over a decade confined beyond his original sentence and under a scheme where the state can keep him locked up without any end in site, it’s easy to understand why he felt he had nothing to lose.
His escape, involving a makeshift dummy and a cross-state journey, shows the desperation that can arise from indefinite confinement. While his actions are unlawful, they highlight the potential issues with the system of civil commitment for sex offenders.
And it’s not like he committed a sex offense on his little vacay… he stopped by a casino, got to speak with his son, and probably experienced the only taste of freedom he would ever have. Can you honestly blame him?
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Why would it be a crime to escape from a civil commitment? They’re considered behavioral health patients, not prisoners. Do other behavioral health patients get charged with felony escape for sneaking out of a hospital?
Also, if the person was that dangerous, why didn’t they get 400 years like we see others get for serious crimes? IMO if the person served their time, it’s the justice system’s fault if the sentence didn’t fit the crime.
Anonymous
Their in that facility for a reason, otherwise they would be in comfort of their home. Follow the LAW.
Griselda, if that were true, then maybe we should just let mob justice rule or have Purge style justice. Is that what you want? You don’t just get to violate someone’s constitutional rights in this country by making up nonsense reasons for why you didn’t like the way the justice system ruled. Educate yourself.