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Abstract: 

The past two decades have produced an expansion of laws and practices in the United States aimed at protecting communities from sexual violence. Among these efforts, few have elicited as much controversy concerning the demand for resources as sex offender civil commitment (SOCC). Known by various names (e.g., sexually violent predator laws), sex offender civil commitment statutes call for the indefinite detainment of high-risk sex offenders in a civil facility following completion of their prison sentence. Many states have had similar statutes since the early twentieth century that were either later repealed or continued to exist in name only.

Keywords: Involuntary Commitment, Kansas v. Crane, 534 U.S. 407 (2002); Kansas v. Hendricks, 521 U.S. 346 (1997); United States v. Comstock, Treatment, Incarceration, and Reintegration Costs

Affiliations:  1: John Jay College of Criminal Justice; 2: John Jay College of Criminal Justice.