Sex offenders: Throwing away the key / New Scientist, 21 Feb2007
http://digbig.com/4rnwd
Peter Aldhous
"The US is different in that some sex offenders are first dealt with as criminals, but after serving their time in prison are turned over for indefinite "civil commitment" on the grounds that they are suffering from a mental illness that makes them dangerous to the public. In January, New Hampshire became the 18th US state to implement civil commitment for sex offenders who are deemed to be dangerous, and others are debating whether they should follow suit."