NCJ Number
181380
Date Published
2000
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This is an analysis of the Florida Department of Children and Families' implementation of the States's law on the involuntary civil commitment of sexually violent predators during its first year.
Abstract
During 1999, that 4,377 offenders were referred to the Sexually Violent Predator Program for assessment during 1999. The program assessed 2,808 offenders by December 31, 1999, determined that 176 (6 percent) of the referrals met the criteria for sexually violent predator, and recommended these offenders for civil commitment. Backlogs, bottlenecks, and shifting release dates have slowed the processing times. The program took almost 3 times longer to refer cases to a State attorney than the 45 days required by the law; the program is taking action to address these problems. Findings suggested that the program needs formal selection criteria and mandatory training for its contract evaluators, because the study of sexually violent predators is an emerging area and no psychological certification in the study of this disorder currently exists. Findings also indicated the need for a longitudinal study to assess the recidivism rates for released, detained, and treated offenders and to determine whether any aspect of the assessment process has been more successful than others in identifying predators. Figures, tables, agency response, and appended figure