Thomas DiNapoli

ALBANY – New York’s top financial watchdog says the state must do more to improve oversight of its most dangerous sex offenders.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released an audit late last week that claims the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) is not adequately monitoring the state’s most dangerous sex offenders, often failing to make the minimum number of required monthly contacts and not performing mandated curfew checks.

The audit examined compliance with the state’s Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act (Act) at regional DOCCS offices in several areas of the state, including the Bronx, Brooklyn, Elmira, Albany, Rochester and Syracuse.

Under state regulations, DOCCS is responsible for closely monitoring sex offenders’ compliance with court-ordered conditions of their release.

Parole officers must make a minimum of six face-to-face supervision contacts per month, which includes two home visits and two curfew checks. In addition, officers must make six “collateral” contacts per month, such as meeting with a respondent’s mental health treatment provider. DOCCS also requires officers to obtain an updated digital photo of high-risk sex offender every 90 days and any time a respondent has a notable change of appearance, such as change of hairstyle or weight gain or loss.

DiNapoli’s audit, however, found the minimum total of six monthly face-to-face contacts did not occur in nearly a quarter of the 92 cases tested.

DOCCS officers also failed to perform required curfew checks in a quarter of the 92 cases.

Auditors also found only 38 percent of 113 required photo updates were done on time while 15 percent were more than a month late.

DiNapoli recommended DOCCS make adjustments to its procedures to ensure compliance with the Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act.

A copy of the final audit can be found at the comptroller’s website.