Minnesota Agencies

The program shall provide specialized sex offender assessment, diagnosis, care, treatment, supervision, and other services to civilly committed sex offenders as defined in section 246B.01, subdivision 1a. Services may include specialized programs at secure treatment facilities as defined in section 253D.02, subdivision 13, consultative services, aftercare services, community-based services and programs, transition services, or other services consistent with the mission of the Department of Human Services.

"Minnesota has had a civil commitment law since the 1930s that was primarily used for those determined to be Mentally Ill and Dangerous (MI & D), but it was not until the 1990s that these laws were revised and more widely implemented for sex offenders. MSOP opened in Moose Lake in 1995 to provide treatment to individuals who were committed as sexually dangerous persons or sexual psychopathic personalities. Prior to that, individuals who had a history of sexually offending behavior were committed to the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter under the Psychopathic Personality Law." (Information from Minnesota Sex Offender Program FAQ).

Previously known as the Psychopathic Personality Treatment Center and the Sexual Psychopathic Personality Treatment Center.

The Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) has come under scrutiny due to the fact that none of the program's clients have ever been fully discharged. The program was investigated in 2011 by the Office of the Legislative Auditor, and has been the subject of a federal class action lawsuit filed by the sex offenders in the program in 2011. On June 17, 2015, the program was ruled unconstitutional by U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank. The ruling was later reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on January 3, 2017 (No.15-3485).