Minnesota Statutes 243.055 – Computer Restrictions
Subdivision 1.Restrictions to use of online services.
If the commissioner believes a significant risk exists that a parolee, state-supervised probationer, or individual on supervised release may use an Internet service or online service to engage in criminal activity or to associate with individuals who are likely to encourage the individual to engage in criminal activity, the commissioner may impose one or more of the following conditions:
Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes 243.055
- Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
(1) prohibit the individual from possessing or using a computer with access to an Internet service or online service without the prior written approval of the commissioner;
(2) prohibit the individual from possessing or using any data encryption technique or program;
(3) require the individual to consent to periodic unannounced examinations of the individual’s computer equipment by a parole or probation agent, including the retrieval and copying of all data from the computer and any internal or external peripherals and removal of such equipment to conduct a more thorough inspection;
(4) require consent of the individual to have installed on the individual’s computer, at the individual’s expense, one or more hardware or software systems to monitor computer use; and
(5) any other restrictions the commissioner deems necessary.
Subd. 2.Restrictions on computer use.
If the commissioner believes a significant risk exists that a parolee, state-supervised probationer, or individual on supervised release may use a computer to engage in criminal activity or to associate with individuals who are likely to encourage the individual to engage in criminal activity, the commissioner may impose one or more of the following restrictions:
(1) prohibit the individual from accessing through a computer any material, information, or data that relates to the activity involved in the offense for which the individual is on probation, parole, or supervised release;
(2) require the individual to maintain a daily log of all addresses the individual accesses through computer other than for authorized employment and to make this log available to the individual’s parole or probation agent;
(3) provide all personal and business telephone records to the individual’s parole or probation agent upon request, including written authorization allowing the agent to request a record of all of the individual’s outgoing and incoming telephone calls from any telephone service provider;
(4) prohibit the individual from possessing or using a computer that contains an internal modem and from possessing or using an external modem without the prior written consent of the commissioner;
(5) prohibit the individual from possessing or using any computer, except that the individual may, with the prior approval of the individual’s parole or probation agent, use a computer in connection with authorized employment;
(6) require the individual to consent to disclosure of the computer-related restrictions that the commissioner has imposed to any employer or potential employer; and
(7) any other restrictions the commissioner deems necessary.
Subd. 3.Limits on restriction.
In imposing restrictions, the commissioner shall take into account that computers are used for numerous, legitimate purposes and that, in imposing restrictions, the least restrictive condition appropriate to the individual shall be used.