Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Law
The Adam Walsh Child Protection And Safety Act: Legal And Psychological Aspects Of The New Civil Commitment Law For Federal Civil Commitment Law For Federal Sex Offenders , John Fabian
Cleveland State Law Review
The Adam Walsh Act (AWA) became law on July 27, 2006, and is the most expansive and punitive sex offender law ever initiated by the federal government. One aspect of the statute, and the topic of this article, is the civil commitment of federal sex offenders. The AWA civil commitment law has its roots in prior U.S. Supreme Court cases including Kansas v. Hendricks and Kansas v. Crane. While the federal commitment statute is similar to traditional state commitment laws, the AWA does not provide for a finding of "likely" to commit sex offenses. Rather, the statute defines a "sexually …