Convicted sex offenders released from custody at the end of their criminal sentences pose a risk for re-offense. In many US states, Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) laws have been enacted that allow for the post-prison preventive detention of high risk sex offenders. This book describes these SVP laws, their constitutionality, and aspects of their operation.
Key Features
- Explores the necessity of SVP laws for public safety.
- Discusses the balance between public protection and offenders' civil rights.
- Analyses expert risk testimony based on actuarial risk assessment.
- Addresses issues such as recidivism risk theory and human bias.
- Proposes changes in legal standards and a unified developmental model.
Additional Information
Courts hear expert risk testimony based heavily on the results of actuarial risk assessment. Problems associated with this testimony include the lack of a theory of recidivism risk, bias due to human decision-making, and the insularity of scholarship and practice along developmental lines. The authors propose changes in legal standards, as well as a unified developmental model that treats sexual violence as an "evolving" condition, with roots traceable to childhood and paths that extend into adolescence and adulthood.
