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Civil commitment: N.Y.'s program to keep sex offenders off the streets is the most expensive in the nation

By "eAdvocate"

1-15-2011 New York: In New York, the end of a criminal sentence for a sex offender doesn't mean he's going free. In 2007, state lawmakers took steps to protect the public from sexual predators. That year they approved a civil commitment program designed to route dangerous sex offenders whose sentences are ending into treatment in secure state psychiatric facilities. However, little thought was given to the likelihood that space for treatment could one day become an expensive dilemma. That day has come. Only in its fourth year, civil commitment is already coping with cost and space strains. Since many offenders who are locked away are unlikely to be released for years, if ever, the costs will continue to escalate. The program is far costlier than imprisoning criminals: a civilly detained offender costs four times the spending for an inmate jailed in a state prison...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sex Offender Issues, News, Recidivism and Studies on January 15, 2011 (boomark / email).