How “Civil Commitment” Enables Indefinite Detention of Sex Offenders
September 26, 2013 | by James Ridgeway | The Guardian
In this article, Media for a Just Society Award Winner James Ridgeway writes about civil commitment, a legal process by which many sex offenders are held in jail indefinitely after they have completed their sentence. Civil commitment for sex offenders often means years of additional jail time based on laws that view past sex offenders as potential recidivists, and therefor threats to society.
In this article, Media for a Just Society Award Winner James Ridgeway writes about civil commitment, a legal process by which many sex offenders are held in jail indefinitely after they have completed their sentence. Civil commitment for sex offenders often means years of additional jail time based on laws that view past sex offenders as potential recidivists, and therefor threats to society. Ridgeway advocates for civil commitment policy reform, arguing that these laws often deny sex offenders basic rights like the right to a speedy trial, the right to counsel, and the right to introduce expert testimony.
To read the original article, click here.
To read Ridgeway’s blog post for Evident Change, “Living, Aging and Dying in Prison,” click here.