Factors Predicting Selection of Sexually Violent Predators for Civil Commitment

This study investigated the degree to which independent variables predicted civil commitment selection in a sample of 450 sexual offenders evaluated for civil commitment as “sexually violent predators” under Florida’s Jimmy Ryce Act. Using logistic regression, this study examined the relationship be...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology 2006-12, Vol.50 (6), p.609-629
Main Authors: Levenson, Jill S., Morin, John W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Commitment
Commitment of Mentally Ill
Demography
Evaluation
Female
Florida - epidemiology
Forensic psychology
Humans
Institutionalization (Persons)
Male
Medical diagnosis
Mental disorders
Mental Disorders - epidemiology
Mental Disorders - psychology
Mental Disorders - rehabilitation
Prisoners - statistics & numerical data
Prospective Studies
Psychological Factors
Recidivism
Retrospective Studies
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Sex Offenders
Sex Offenses - psychology
Sex Offenses - statistics & numerical data
Sexual violence
State laws
Violence - psychology
Violence - statistics & numerical data
Violent crime
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study investigated the degree to which independent variables predicted civil commitment selection in a sample of 450 sexual offenders evaluated for civil commitment as “sexually violent predators” under Florida’s Jimmy Ryce Act. Using logistic regression, this study examined the relationship between the dependent variable, commitment recommendation, and several sets of independent variables. Results revealed that the statistically significant predictors of recommendations for sex offender civil commitment were diagnoses of pedophilia and paraphilia not otherwise specified (NOS), psychopathy, actuarial risk assessment scores, younger age of victim, and nonminority race (R 2 = .88). Discriminant function analysis confirmed that these variables correctly predicted commitment recommendations in 90% of cases. Sex offenders recommended for commitment consistently met the criteria set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court in Kansas v. Hendricks (1997): They suffered from a mental abnormality predisposing them to sexual violence, and risk assessment determined that they were likely to reoffend.
ISSN:0306-624X
1552-6933
DOI:10.1177/0306624X06287644