The Lester Prairie Police Department follows Minnesota notification procedures when a sex offender is going to be released from prison and moving into a neighborhood. How many people are notified depends on the offender's risk assessment. Before release from prison, a committee of professionals from corrections and law enforcement agencies, sex offender treatment facilities, and victim advocate programs evaluate the prisoner's amenability to treatment and overall psychological condition.

Based on that evaluation, the prisoner is assigned a risk level assessment: level one is the person least likely to re-offend and level three is the person most likely to re-offend.

Level 1 Offender - Notification to police departments, victims and witnesses.

Level 2 Offender - Notification to police departments, victims, witnesses, schools, daycare programs and similar institutions.

Level 3 Offender - Notification to police departments, victims, witnesses, schools, daycare programs, and neighborhoods.  In addition, a community meeting is held to tell neighbors about the offender's whereabouts and give them instructions on behavior to watch for, how to work with the police in observing the individual, and personal safety and crime prevention tips.

For up-to-date information on Level 3 offenders, click on www.doc.state.mn.us/level3/level3.asp.

For up-to-date information on non-compliant predatory offenders, click on https://por.state.mn.us/