Previous studies described the characteristics of individuals committed under sexual offender civil commitment laws in Arizona, Florida, and Washington. This study describes the diagnostic and risk profiles of 331 sexual offenders held under Wisconsin’s sexual offender statute and compares them to the people held in those other states. Persons detained under Wisconsin’s law substantially differ from those in the other states. This variability is attributed to differences in both diagnostic procedures and statutory risk thresholds. The authors believe this is the first study to directly compare diagnoses and risk measures of sex offenders referred for commitment in different states, thereby offering a more national view of who is detained under these laws.
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