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2023 Florida Statutes (including 2023C)

Title XXIX PUBLIC HEALTH
Chapter 394 MENTAL HEALTH Entire Chapter
SECTION 913
Notice to state attorney and multidisciplinary team of release of sexually violent predator; establishing multidisciplinary teams; information to be provided to multidisciplinary teams.
F.S. 394.913
394.913 Notice to state attorney and multidisciplinary team of release of sexually violent predator; establishing multidisciplinary teams; information to be provided to multidisciplinary teams.—
(1) The agency with jurisdiction over a person who has been convicted of a sexually violent offense shall give written notice to the multidisciplinary team and shall provide a copy of the notice to the state attorney of the circuit in which that person was last convicted of a sexually violent offense. If the person has never been convicted of a sexually violent offense in this state but has been convicted of a sexually violent offense in another state or in federal court, the agency with jurisdiction shall give written notice to the multidisciplinary team and a copy to the state attorney of the circuit in which the person was last convicted of any offense in this state. If the person is being confined in this state pursuant to interstate compact and has a prior or current conviction for a sexually violent offense, the agency with jurisdiction shall give written notice to the multidisciplinary team and shall provide a copy to the state attorney of the circuit in which the person plans to reside upon release or, if no residence in this state is planned, the state attorney in the circuit in which the facility from which the person to be released is located. Except as provided in s. 394.9135, the written notice must be given:
(a) At least 545 days before the anticipated release from total confinement of a person serving a sentence in the custody of the Department of Corrections, except that in the case of a person who is totally confined for a period of less than 545 days, written notice must be given as soon as practicable;
(b) At least 180 days before the anticipated release from residential commitment of a person committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice, except that in the case of a person who is committed to a low or moderate risk facility, written notice must be given as soon as practicable;
(c) At least 180 days before the anticipated hearing regarding possible release of a person committed to the custody of the department who has been found not guilty by reason of insanity or mental incapacity of a sexually violent offense; or
(d) At least 180 days before the anticipated release from total confinement of a person serving a sentence in a county or municipal jail, except that in the case of a person who is totally confined for a period of less than 180 days, written notice must be given as soon as practicable.
(2) The agency having jurisdiction shall provide the multidisciplinary team with the following information:
(a) The person’s name; identifying characteristics; anticipated future residence; the type of supervision the person will receive in the community, if any; and the person’s offense history;
(b) The person’s criminal history, including police reports, victim statements, presentence investigation reports, postsentence investigation reports, if available, and any other documents containing facts of the person’s criminal incidents or indicating whether the criminal incidents included sexual acts or were sexually motivated;
(c) Mental health, mental status, and medical records, including all clinical records and notes concerning the person;
(d) Documentation of institutional adjustment and any treatment received and, in the case of an adjudicated delinquent committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice, copies of the most recent performance plan and performance summary; and
(e) If the person was returned to custody after a period of supervision, documentation of adjustment during supervision and any treatment received.
(3)(a) The secretary or his or her designee shall establish a multidisciplinary team or teams.
(b) Each team shall include, but need not be limited to, two licensed psychiatrists or psychologists or one licensed psychiatrist and one licensed psychologist who shall each have experience in or relevant to the evaluation or treatment of persons with mental abnormalities. The department shall provide annual training to the members of the multidisciplinary team on topics including, but not limited to, research on sexual offenses or offenders, clinical evaluation methods, and the civil commitment process. Members of the team who are hired on contract are limited to 1-year contracts. Such contracts may be renewed. The department shall regularly provide feedback to each multidisciplinary team member and formally evaluate annually the performance of each member of the multidisciplinary team. Such evaluations must include, but need not be limited to, the member’s:
1. Scope of knowledge and understanding of clinical research regarding risk factors for sexual deviance and recidivism;
2. Ability to identify relevant clinical data from review of criminal records and other information, including recommendations of law enforcement and insights from victim advocates; and
3. Ability to apply clinical information in a structured assessment of both static risk factors and dynamic predictors of recidivism.
(c) The department shall maintain data on each case on the recommendations of the clinical evaluators in their clinical evaluations, the final recommendations of the multidisciplinary team, the petitions filed by state attorneys, and the results of those petitions. The department shall analyze, at least annually, this data to assess inter-rater reliability between clinical evaluators and the level of agreement between an individual evaluator’s recommendation and the multidisciplinary team’s recommendation for the same individual. The department shall also assess trends in multidisciplinary team recommendations, state attorneys filings, and the results of such filings. The state attorneys shall provide information to the department regarding filings and their results as necessary to maintain this data.
(d) The multidisciplinary team shall assess and evaluate each person referred to the team. The multidisciplinary team shall prioritize the assessment and evaluation of persons referred under subsection (1) based upon the person’s scheduled release date. The assessment and evaluation must include a review of the person’s institutional history and treatment record, if any, the person’s criminal background, and any other factor that is relevant to the determination of whether the person is a sexually violent predator.
(e) The multidisciplinary team may consult with law enforcement agencies and victim advocate groups during the assessment and evaluation process. A clinical evaluation of the person may be conducted. A second clinical evaluation must be conducted if a member of the multidisciplinary team questions the conclusion of the first clinical evaluation. All members of the multidisciplinary team shall review, at a minimum, the information provided in subsection (2) and any clinical evaluation before making a recommendation pursuant to paragraph (g).
(f) Before recommending that a person meets the definition of a sexually violent predator, the person must be offered a personal interview. If the person agrees to participate in a personal interview, at least one member of the team who is a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist must conduct a personal interview of the person. If the person refuses to fully participate in a personal interview, the multidisciplinary team shall proceed with its recommendation without the interview.
(g) The multidisciplinary team shall complete all clinical evaluations and provide the state attorney a written assessment and recommendation as to whether the person meets the definition of a sexually violent predator at least 1 month before the person’s scheduled release date from the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or the Department of Children and Families. The multidisciplinary team shall complete all clinical evaluations and provide the state attorney a written assessment and recommendation as to whether the person meets the definition of a sexually violent predator at least 24 hours before the person’s scheduled release date from a county or municipal jail.
1. The department must recommend that the state attorney file a petition for civil commitment if at least two members of the multidisciplinary team determine that the person meets the definition of a sexually violent predator.
2. When the department determines that a person who has received a clinical evaluation does or does not meet the definition of a sexually violent predator, the written assessment and recommendation shall be sent to the state attorney. If the state attorney questions, in writing, the determination that the person does or does not meet the definition of a sexually violent predator, the multidisciplinary team must reexamine the case before a final written assessment and recommendation is provided to the state attorney.
(h) The Attorney General’s Office shall serve as legal counsel to the multidisciplinary team.
(4) The multidisciplinary team shall give equal consideration in the evaluation and assessment of an offender whose sexually violent offense was an attempt, criminal solicitation, or conspiracy, in violation of s. 777.04, to commit a sexually violent offense enumerated in s. 394.912(9) as it does in the evaluation and assessment of an offender who completed such an enumerated sexually violent offense. A rule or policy may not be established which reduces the level of consideration because the sexually violent offense was an attempt, criminal solicitation, or conspiracy.
(5) This section is not jurisdictional, and failure to comply with it in no way prevents the state attorney from proceeding against a person otherwise subject to this part.
History.—s. 5, ch. 98-64; s. 6, ch. 99-222; s. 81, ch. 2000-139; s. 1, ch. 2002-59; s. 1, ch. 2007-241; s. 1, ch. 2012-79; s. 3, ch. 2014-2; s. 2, ch. 2014-3; s. 102, ch. 2014-19; s. 39, ch. 2015-2.
Note.—Former s. 916.33.