Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 12 - LAW ENFORCEMENT, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND MILITARY AFFAIRS (§§ 12-1-101 — 12-88-109) › Subtitle 2 - LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS (§§ 12-6-101 — 12-20-301) › Chapter 12 - CRIME REPORTING AND INVESTIGATIONS (§§ 12-12-101 — 12-12-1906) › Subchapter 9 - SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION ACT OF 1997 (§§ 12-12-901 — 12-12-930) › Section 12-12-917 - Evaluation protocol - Sexually dangerous persons - Juveniles adjudicated delinquent - Examiners

(a)
(1)
The Sex Offender Assessment Committee shall develop an evaluation protocol for preparing reports to assist courts in making determinations whether or not a person adjudicated guilty of a sex offense should be considered a sexually dangerous person for purposes of this subchapter.
(2)
The committee shall also establish qualifications for examiners and qualify examiners to prepare reports in accordance with the evaluation protocol.
(b)
(1)
The committee shall cause an assessment to be conducted on a case-by-case basis of the public risk posed by a sex offender or sexually dangerous person:
(A)
Who is required to register under §
12-12-905
after August 1, 1997; and
(B)
For whom the Arkansas Crime Information Center has no record of an assessment's being done and a risk level established subsequent to August 1, 1997.
(2)
(A)
(i)
An adult offender convicted of an offense described in
42 U.S.C. § 14071
et seq., as it existed on March 1, 2003, Pub. L. No. 109-248, as it existed on January 1, 2007, or §
12-12-903(13)
shall be assessed.
(ii)
(a)
Subject to subdivision (c)(1) of this section, the prosecuting attorney and any law enforcement agency shall furnish the file relating to the offender to Community Notification Assessment at the Division of Correction within thirty (30) days of an offender's adjudication of guilt.
(b)
(1)
The prosecuting attorney shall make a copy of any relevant records concerning the offender and shall forward the copied relevant records to Community Notification Assessment within thirty (30) days of the adjudication.
(2)
The relevant records include, but are not limited to:
(A)
Arrest reports;
(B)
Incident reports;
(C)
Offender statements;
(D)
Sentencing orders;
(E)
Medical records;
(F)
Witness statements; and
(G)
Any record considered relevant by the prosecuting attorney.
(B)
A sex offender sentenced to life, life without parole, or death shall be assessed only if the sex offender is being considered for release.
(3)
A sex offender currently in the state who has not been assessed and classified shall be identified by the center.
(4)
(A)
If a sex offender fails to appear for assessment, is aggressive, threatening, or disruptive to the point that Community Notification Assessment staff cannot proceed with the assessment process, or voluntarily terminates the assessment process after having been advised of the potential consequences:
(i)
The sex offender shall be classified as a risk Level 3 or referred to the committee as a risk Level 4; and
(ii)
The community supervision officer, if applicable, shall be notified.
(B)
A sex offender has immunity for a statement made by him or her in the course of assessment with respect to prior conduct under the immunity provisions of §
16-43-601
et seq.
(C)
Assessment personnel shall report ongoing child maltreatment as required under the Child Maltreatment Act, §
12-18-101
et seq.
(c)
(1)
To the extent permissible and under the procedures established by state rules and federal regulations, public agencies shall provide the committee access to all relevant records and information in the possession of public agencies or any private entity contracting with a public agency relating to the sex offender or sexually dangerous person under review.
(2)
The records and information include, but are not limited to:
(A)
Police reports;
(B)
Statements of probable cause;
(C)
Presentence investigations and reports;
(D)
Complete judgments and sentences;
(E)
Current classification referrals;
(F)
Criminal history summaries;
(G)
Violation and disciplinary reports;
(H)
All psychological evaluations and psychiatric hospital reports;
(I)
Sex offender or sexually dangerous person treatment program reports;
(J)
Juvenile court records;
(K)
Victim impact statements;
(L)
Investigation reports to the Child Abuse Hotline, the Division of Children and Family Services of the Department of Human Services, and any entity contracting with the Department of Human Services for investigation or treatment of sexual or physical abuse or domestic violence; and
(M)
Statements of medical providers treating victims of sex offenses indicating the extent of injury to the victim.
(d)
(1)
Records and information obtained under this section shall not be subject to the Freedom of Information Act of 1967, §
25-19-101
et seq., unless otherwise authorized by law.
(2)
(A)
(i)
The sex offender or sexually dangerous person shall have access to records and information generated and maintained by the committee.
(ii)
These records shall include any reports of the assessment and the tape of the interview but do not include restricted source documents of commercial psychological tests or working notes of staff.
(B)
(i)
Unless otherwise ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction, records and information generated by other agencies and obtained under this section shall not be available to the sex offender or sexually dangerous person except through the agency or individual having primary custody of the records.
(ii)
Upon request, the sex offender shall be given a list of the records or information obtained.
(C)
If the record or information generated contains the address of a victim or a person who has made a statement adverse to the sex offender or sexually dangerous person, the address shall be redacted and the sex offender or sexually dangerous person shall have access to records and information other than the identity and address.
(e)
In classifying the sex offender into a risk level for the purposes of public notification under §
12-12-913
, the committee, through its staff, shall review each sex offender or sexually dangerous person under its authority:
(1)
Prior to the sex offender's release for confinement in a correctional facility;
(2)
Prior to the release of a person who has been committed following an acquittal on the grounds of mental disease or defect;
(3)
At the start of a sex offender's suspended imposition of sentence; or
(4)
At the start of a sex offender's probation period.
(f)
(1)
(A)
The committee shall issue the offender fact sheet to the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction.
(B)
The offender fact sheet is provided to assist the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction in its task of community notification.
(2)
The committee shall provide the Post-Prison Transfer Board with copies of the offender fact sheet on inmates of the Division of Correction.
(3)
The committee shall provide the Division of Community Correction with copies of the offender fact sheet on any sex offender under the Division of Community Correction's supervision.
(4)
(A)
(i)
The offender fact sheet shall be prepared on a standard form for ease of transmission and communication.
(ii)
The offender fact sheet shall be on an internet-based application accessible to law enforcement, state boards, and licensing agencies.
(iii)
The offender fact sheet of a sexually dangerous person or a sex offender found by the center to be in violation of the registration requirement shall be made available to the general public unless the release of the offender fact sheet, in the opinion of the committee based on a risk assessment, places an innocent individual at risk.
(B)
The standard form shall include, but not be limited to:
(i)
Registration information as required in §
12-12-908
;
(ii)
Risk level;
(iii)
Date of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sample;
(iv)
Psychological factors likely to affect sexual control;
(v)
Victim age and gender preference;
(vi)
Treatment history and recommendations; and
(vii)
Other relevant information deemed necessary by the committee or by professional staff performing sex offender assessments.
(5)
(A)
The committee shall ensure that the notice is complete in its entirety.
(B)
A law enforcement officer shall notify the center if a sex offender has moved or is otherwise in violation of a registration requirement.
(6)
(A)
All material used in the assessment shall be kept on file in its original form for one (1) year.
(B)
After one (1) year the file may be stored electronically.
(g)
(1)
In cooperation with the committee, the Division of Correction shall promulgate rules to establish the review process for assessment determinations.
(2)
(A)
The sex offender or sexually dangerous person may request an administrative review of the assigned risk level under the conditions stated and following the procedures indicated under §
12-12-922
.
(B)
The sex offender shall be notified of these rights and procedures in the documentation sent with the notification of risk level.
(h)
(1)
(A)
A sex offender or sexually dangerous person may request the committee to reassess the assigned risk level of the sex offender or sexually dangerous person after five (5) years have elapsed since initial risk assessment by the committee and may renew that request one (1) time every five (5) years.
(B)
In the request for reassessment, the sex offender or sexually dangerous person shall list the facts and circumstances that demonstrate that the sex offender no longer poses the same degree of risk to the community.
(2)
(A)
A local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction, the Division of Community Correction, or the Post-Prison Transfer Board may request the committee to reassess a sex offender's assigned risk level at any time.
(B)
In the request for reassessment, the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction, the Division of Community Correction, or the Post-Prison Transfer Board shall list the facts and circumstances that prompted the requested reassessment.
(3)
The committee shall also take into consideration any subsequent criminal act by the sex offender or sexually dangerous person during a reassessment.
Amended by Act 2023, No. 659,§ 68, eff. 1/1/2024.
Amended by Act 2023, No. 659,§ 67, eff. 1/1/2024.
Amended by Act 2023, No. 659,§ 66, eff. 1/1/2024.
Amended by Act 2023, No. 659,§ 65, eff. 1/1/2024.
Amended by Act 2023, No. 659,§ 64, eff. 1/1/2024.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 315,§ 866, eff. 7/24/2019.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 315,§ 865, eff. 7/24/2019.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 723, eff. 7/1/2019.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 722, eff. 7/1/2019.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 721, eff. 7/1/2019.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 720, eff. 7/1/2019.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 505,§ 15, eff. 8/16/2013.
Acts 1997, No. 989, § 17; 1999, No. 1353, §§ 10, 11; 2001, No. 1743, § 12; 2003 (2nd Ex. Sess.), No. 21, § 8; 2005, No. 1962, §§ 36, 37; 2006 (1st Ex. Sess.), No. 4, § 5; 2007, No. 394, § 9; 2009, No. 758, § 25.