Nova Scotia RCMP are notifying people in the province about the release of a high-risk offender.

Police said in a public alert that James Andrew MacKay, 36, is being released from the Atlantic Institution in Renous, N.B., on Wednesday.

The alert says RCMP are notifying all citizens, but particularly people in Halifax and Yarmouth.

MacKay is completing a sentence for sexual assault and other offences. He has a criminal record dating back to 2000 that includes convictions for uttering threats, assault with a weapon, forcible confinement, sexual assault, and killing and endangering animals.

Violence in intimate relationships

"Violent offences for which MacKay has been convicted have been in the context of intimate relationships," the alert says.

MacKay is considered a high-risk to reoffend, police say.

He is being released under strict conditions for two years and is forbidden from possessing certain types of weapons, drinking or using non-prescription drugs. He is not to communicate with his victim.

MacKay, who has a daily curfew, is described as a white male, five-foot-nine and 185 pounds. He has green eyes and black hair.

Police say any vigilante activity against MacKay "will not be tolerated."