Write a discussion post (between 150-300 words) that responds to the question(s) below. Use the information you learned from your text, lecturette, and lecture slides to inform and shape your posts. You may also use additional resources from outside of class. Once you have completed your discussion post, reply to at least two of your classmates posts (at least 75 words). Your initial post and your peer reply should be written with proper grammar & spellings, demonstrate thoughtful engagement with the topic, and be respectful & considerate.

Prompt: What arguments can be made for and against the involuntary civil commitment of sex offenders at the conclusion of their prison sentences? What are your thoughts on the topic?

the nots : The psychology of investigations is a fertile area for research and practice. It focuses on identifying features of a crime and likely characteristics of its perpetrator. The generic term profiling, as used in this chapter, is subsumed under this topic. We discuss five overlapping forms: crime scene profiling (often called criminal or offender profiling), suspect-based profiling, geographical profiling, psychological profiling, and the psychological autopsy. It is important to realize, though, that these terms are very often used interchangeably in the literature. In addition, profiling may be used in areas that do not involve criminal investigation, particularly in the case of psychological profiling and psychological autopsies. We discuss some of the reasons profiling is difficult. Chief among these is the fact that much of human behavior is not consistent across different situations. Profiling–though fascinating to the public–is an enterprise that must be approached with extreme caution, at least until research demonstrates that it has greater predictive validity. The psychology of investigations also includes research and practice in broader areas such as interrogation and the detection of deception, polygraphy, forensic hypnosis, facial recognition, and lineups. Essentially, we have included in this chapter a variety of areas in which practicing and research psychologists have much to offer law enforcement agencies in their investigations of crimes. The methods used by police in interviewing and interrogating witnesses and suspects have received considerable attention in forensic psychology. Legal psychologists have been critical of the dominant method of interrogation advocated in the United States, and many are recommending a shift to a less confrontational form of questioning in order to lessen the likelihood of coercion and false confession. Researchers also have looked carefully at the ability of anyone–including police officers–to detect deception in others. We end the chapter with a discussion of forensic hypnosis, eyewitness identification, and the construction of police lineups. Hypnosis is a controversial topic, and although the weight of the scientific evidence is still very much against its use, research over the past decade has begun to challenge early assumptions. One of the most consistent findings in experimental psychology is the fallibility of memory and its impact on eyewitness recollection of events. In recent years, psychologists have made significant research contributions relating to the construction and administration of police lineups. In recent years, psychologists have made significant research contributions relating to the construction and administration of police lineups, but some of that research is equivocal. Double-blind lineups–where neither the witness nor the officer conducting the lineup is aware of the identity of the suspect–are highly recommended. Some research recommendations have been incorporated into government guidelines used by law enforcement officers nationwide, but many agencies do not have written policies for conducting lineups.Review the attached lecture slides Bartol_5e_PPT_03.pptx

reply to this : As far as committing sex offenders goes, it would keep the public safer. It would also make the neighbors of the offenders more comfortable. The textbook mentions how releasing criminals and requiring that they be monitored is favorable but causes anxiety in the residents where the offender lives (Bartol, 2019).

Concerning not committing sex offenders, some people may argue that they have already done their time, so civil commitment after their sentence would be unfairly punitive.

I don’t think involuntary commitment will solve rape and other sexual offenses but it can limit certain predators or offenders from offending again… at least in the public. I will not be naive enough to say there would not be incidents of violence in the commitment centers. What is important to take into account is the nature of the crime. For Sexually Violent Predators (SVP) and repeat offenders civil commitment makes sense. For someone, who is less violent, maybe jail time is sufficient. For instance, a man who sleeps with a minor and was truly unaware of his/her age may not be a threat in the same way that a man who seeks out minors is. By no means am I excusing any of these behaviors, but I think intent is important to take into account when considering how to proceed once the sentence is complete.

The text states how important it is to consider mental illness as well. I would say if someone is criminally insane then civil commitment makes sense with treatment to follow. Interestingly enough, the text also mentions that offenders do not always receive treatment. Because of this, some people may feel that civil commitment is pointless or that it is necessary because of lack of treatment.

Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2019). Introduction to forensic psychology: Research and application (5th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.

reply to this :What arguments can be made for and against the involuntary civil commitment of sex offenders at the conclusion of their prison sentences?

Pro: If the accused/defendant is mentally ill they are being committed after the crime and as a result of their inability to control their actions

Con: Many legal, ethical, and practical have been raised on this practice. So far the Supreme Court has allowed involuntary civil commitment of sex offenders at the conclusion of their prison sentences to continue as long as the offender has a history of sexually violent behavior, a current mental disorder, risk of future events. A recent ruling on the civil commitment of a sex offender (U.S. vs. Comstock, 2010) allowed the federal government to hold violent sexual offenders beyond their prison sentence if they were mentally ill. This seems like a slippery slope to me.

What are your thoughts on the topic?

As noted in our text all 50 states have sex offender registries but only 21 jurisdictions have taken the additional step of creating civil commitment laws especially designed for sex offenders (Phenix & Jackson. 2016.) Most likely not all states have adopted due to expense associated at an annual cost per patient ranging from $60k-$180k Funding always an issue, but I believe in rehabilitation and protecting the patient/inmate as well as the public from future harm.

second: Write a discussion post (between 150-300 words) that responds to the question(s) below. Use the information you learned from your text, lecturette, and lecture slides to inform and shape your posts. You may also use additional resources from outside of class. Once you have completed your discussion post, reply to at least two of your classmates posts (at least 75 words). Your initial post and your peer reply should be written with proper grammar & spellings, demonstrate thoughtful engagement with the topic, and be respectful & considerate.

Prompt: How does the diversity of the Hispanic population affect victimization data? In your opinion, what are some ways to address the limits in data on the Hispanic population?

reply to this: The Hispanic population is the most diverse race because so many ethnicities are embedded within it (Bartol, 2019). There are Afro-Latinos, Asian Latinos and some who identify as white. This can affect victimization data because it is hard to categorize these people. So, it may look as if only a certain number of Latinos were victimized in one year, but in fact it could be more. Or it may seem as if a certain number of Blacks were victimized in one year when some of them were Afro-Latino.

We can address these limits by having broader identification options. By this I mean instead of Black or Hispanic or Asian there could be some combinations like ‘Asian Latino’ or Native American Hispanic’ so there can be a very clear report of the ethnicities of people who are being victimized. We have started to include ‘persons of two or more races’ but now it’s time to extend that into particulars. In other situations, less detailed selection options may not be necessary.

Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2019). Introduction to forensic psychology: Research and application (5th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.