People filed quietly into St.

Thursday, February 17, 2000

People filed quietly into St. Augustine’s Catholic Church Wednesday evening, picking up pamphlets and papers before settling into the pews. Though their faces were grave, they hadn’t come for a funeral or a church service. Instead, they had come to hear about something that crossed denominations to concern a whole community.

"This is more people than I expected," Austin Police Chief Paul Phillip commented as he surveyed the turnout. "Quite a bit more."

The people had come to hear about a sex offender being released into the community, and they gave Phillip and representatives of several agencies, both state and local, their rapt attention.

"It’s important we have an understanding of what’s happening in our community," Phillip said to the mostly full church, which the Rev. Paul Nelson had volunteered as a location. "We are now able to share with you information on those offenders most likely to be a threat in our community."

William Alexander of the Minnesota Department of Corrections informed the crowd about the man moving back to Austin.

As a picture of a brown-haired man with glasses was projected to the screen, Alexander said: "This is Thomas Gary Corscadden. He is 48 years of age, and has green eyes and gray hair which is now almost all gray. He is going to live downtown on Main Street."

Corscadden has two sexual assault convictions in his past. One came in 1977, when he was with the military, and concerned an adult female. In 1995, he "victimized a child by touch" in Austin, Alexander explained.

Some of the conditions of Corscadden’s release include no contact with children whatsoever, or with the victim or the victim’s family. He will be under what is called "intensive supervised release." This is a condition of house arrest in which the person must check with agents in charge of his supervision before leaving the house, even for a trip to the store to purchase cigarettes. He will not be allowed to go to the YMCA or parks where children typically can be found. Agents have access to the home in which he’ll live any time, day or night.

This was the first Level III sex offender released back into the community in Austin. About a year ago, a Level II offender was released in Austin as well. Level III offenders are seen as most likely to reoffend when released.

During the question-and-answer portion of the evening, a panel of school, county, city and state officials endeavored to ease the concerns of those present.

Asked why a more current picture of the man in question wasn’t made available for public release, Alexander explained, "We don’t want the community to get a false sense of security. We don’t want our children told ‘Watch for this man,’ to the point where they don’t watch for others."

When asked why offenders like Corscadden, who had what agents described as a ‘significant relationship’ with his juvenile victim and should be prevented from building any relationship with children, were allowed back onto the streets at all, Alexander compared Minnesota to Texas.

"In Minnesota, the sentence for an offender like this is 81 months. In Texas, they receive a life sentence. Who here thinks they should all get life sentences?" he asked. A ragged cheer came back from the audience.

"When a person is sentenced to 81 months in Minnesota for this crime, they serve 81 months," Alexander said. "When they are sentenced to life in Texas for the same crime, they typically serve 18 months. Minnesota has the most enhanced penalties of any state in the nation, currently."

Jack Koppa went to Wednesday’s meeting because his children brought home information sent out by the schools.

"I went because I have kids," Koppa said. "I think this was well-handled, and they pointed out some good points, as well as explaining what a Level III sex offender is."