Senate Passes Bill To Create A Registry Of Violent Offenders

“Brittany’s Law” Provides More Information About Potentially Dangerous Felons

The New York State Senate yesterday approved “Brittany’s Law” to increase the safety and awareness of communities by creating a registry of convicted violent felons. The bill (S1850A) establishes a statewide violent felony offender registry by requiring certain convicted felons to register with the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) upon release from prison.

Brittany’s Law is named for 12-year-old Brittany Passalacqua who was murdered in 2009 along with her mother Helen Buchel in Geneva, Ontario County. The killer, John Edward Brown, was on parole at the time of the murder. He was released from prison after serving 2 ½ years of a three-year sentence for assaulting his infant daughter in 2003.

The bill requires violent felony offenders to register with DCJS upon discharge, parole, or release from any facility, hospital, or institution. Similar to the state’s Sex Offender registry, violent felons would be assigned risk levels. Annual registration requirements and corresponding procedural guidelines would be established to allow local law enforcement agencies and the state to monitor the whereabouts of violent felony offenders. The measure would also allow the dissemination of and access to certain information in the database to the public.

    The bill is under consideration by the Assembly.