Some sex offenders are civilly committed in Washington state. Here’s how the process works.

The Department of Social and Health Services' Special Commitment Center (SCC) includes a total confinement facility on McNeil Island and less restrictive alternative placements throughout the state.

The SCC provides specialized mental health treatment for civilly committed sex offenders who have completed their prison sentences (https://www.dshs.wa.gov/bha/special-commitment-center). The path to civil commitment involves the courts, defense attorneys and prosecutors, and the residents themselves. The SCC helps protect public safety by providing care, control and custody for these civilly committed residents.

Residents may be transferred from SCC’s total confinement facility to less restrictive alternatives (LRAs). Residents are constitutionally entitled to a yearly evaluation to determine if they still meet criteria for commitment, if an LRA is in their best interest, and if security conditions can be imposed that adequately protect the community.

There are multiple types of less restrictive alternatives in which the court may place residents, including secure community transfer facilities (SCTF) and community housing placements.
Residents of both SCTFs and community housing placements are required to follow court-ordered conditions that include sex offender behavioral health treatment and monitoring by GPS. All residents are also closely supervised by DSHS social workers and corrections specialists from the Department of Corrections.

Learn more about LRAs at: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/bha/less-restrictive-alternative

Видео Some sex offenders are civilly committed in Washington state. Here’s how the process works. канала WA State Department of Social and Health Services