Protecting Society from Sexually Dangerous Offenders: Law, Justice and Therapy

Legal and mental health experts explore the ramifications of the controversial sexual predator commitment laws, registration and community notification laws, and chemical castration laws that have come into existence since 1990. The increasing number of sex crimes, especially those committed by released sex offenders against young victims, has struck a public nerve. In this volume, contributing authors discuss the issues surrounding these new legal strategies and the alternatives to such programmes. They examine the wisdom and constitutionality of post-incarceration commitment and the difficulty of determining who is most likely to offend again. Contributors propose alternatives to involuntary commitment, including community containment and programmes for treating sexually abused children so as to reduce the chances of them growing up to continue the cycle of sexual abuse. They also propose ways in which these new legal approaches can be applied to increase their therapeutic potential.