Spitzer, lawmakers agree on bill named for Galleria Mall murder victim

Governor Eliot Spitzer (D-NY) and lawmakers came to an agreement Thursday on a new version of a law that allows the confinement of sex offenders after their prison terms.
The civil confinement law is called ?Connie?s Law,? after Connie Russo Carierro. The law?s namesake was stabbed to death in the Galleria Mall parking garage in White Plains back in June 2005. Carierro was killed by Philip Grant, a homeless convicted rapist who had served his time and was set free. Former Governor George Pataki?s (R-NY) version of the civil confinement law was struck down by the Court of Appeals.
The new version of the bill would create an Office of Sex Offender Management that would work with corrections and mental health department officials. They would help decide whether to keep convicts who sexually abused children and are deemed likely to offend again in state facilities after their sentences end. Supporters say the bill will also eliminate parole for some sexual offenses and mandate longer periods of post-release supervision. They say it will require treatment for all sex offenders both during their prison terms and after they are released. The bill will now go to the state Legislature for approval.Related Information Civil confinement bill could take on name of Galleria Mall slaying victim Man convicted of murder as a hate crime in Galleria Mall slaying