Sexually Violent Predator Evaluations: Problems and Proposals

Abstract

Historically the legislators in the United States have attempted to walk a narrow line between protecting their citizens and not infringing on their civil rights. This task is especially difficult in the case of sex offender civil commitment. While the basis of such litigation dates back nearly a century with the creation of sexual psychopath laws, the last few decades have reflected an increased attention aimed at increasing attempts to protect the public from dangerous sexual offenders who are deemed likely to recidivate. These laws (commonly referred to as sexually violent predator [SVP] laws) allow for the continued civil confinement of sex offenders who are deemed too dangerous for release from incarceration following the completion of their criminal sentence and can lead to long-term and even permanent confinement of these individuals. This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of SVP laws as they relate to the assessment tasks involved, as well as the gaps that are present in almost every stage of assessment. Specifically, it examines SVP legal terminology, SVP relevant assessment tools and data interpretation methods, and the extent to which they can accurately predict recidivism. Additionally, the chapter provides suggestions for the future improvement of SVP evaluation process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)