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Victims' notification bill draws support and opposition over default opt-in language
Summary
Department of Corrections witnesses urged changes to North Dakota's victim-notification wording so victims who do not want notices need not receive them; the Attorney General's office opposed the change, arguing it would shift notification responsibility onto victims and could undermine constitutional victims' rights.
The House Judiciary Committee heard opposing testimony on House Bill 1061, a measure that would change how the state notifies victims about offender movement and release. The Department of Corrections' victim services staff asked the committee to amend notification language so victims who do not want further notices can decline them; the Attorney General's office urged a do-not-pass recommendation, saying the change could place victims at risk.
Charlie Hedden, who works on victim services for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told the committee the department's existing practice is to offer victims several ways to register for notifications and that some victims explicitly tell staff they do not want to receive release or movement notices because the messages re-trigger trauma. Hedden asked the…
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