FRESNO - Sexually Violent Predator Jeffrey Snyder was ordered conditionally released from Coalinga State Hospital. After a contested hearing in March 2016, the Fresno County Superior Court found that Mr. Snyder continued to meet the criteria as a Sexually Violent Predator (SVP), but also found that he qualified for the next stage of his treatment of outpatient conditional release. The Department of State Hospitals and Liberty Healthcare researched 1,749 homes within the County of Fresno for the potential placement of Mr. Snyder. None of them were suitable to house Mr. Snyder.
The Court ordered Mr. Snyder’s release into the custody of Liberty Healthcare on or before August 10th. Mr. Snyder will be residing in motels within Fresno County while Liberty Healthcare continues their search for suitable permanent housing. Once a suitable permanent residence is located, a hearing will be held in the Superior Court where members of the public will be allowed to express their opinions on the proposed location.
While in the custody of Liberty Healthcare, Mr. Snyder will be personally supervised 24 hours a day by an employee of Liberty Healthcare, and he will be outfitted with a real-time GPS tracker in order to track his location. Mr. Snyder will be also be required to attend sex offender treatment, and he will be have to register as a “transient” Sex Offender with local law enforcement. Any violation of the conditions of his release may be grounds for a revocation of his outpatient status and a return to Coalinga State Hospital.
The District Attorney’s Office and the Superior Court will continue to monitor Mr. Snyder by way of quarterly reports and annual updates prepared by the Department of State Hospitals.
Further information about SVP’s, and an explanation of the legal requirements for their designation, treatment, and release from confined facilities, can be obtained at the Department of State Hospital’s website at: http://www.dsh.ca.gov/Treatment/Sex_Offender_Commitments.aspx.
For information on sex offenders living in your neighborhood, visit: http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/.