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Civil commitment: A review of empirical research
Author(s) -
Hiday Virginia Aldigé
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
behavioral sciences and the law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1099-0798
pISSN - 0735-3936
DOI - 10.1002/bsl.2370060104
Subject(s) - perspective (graphical) , empirical research , balance (ability) , civil law (civil law) , civil rights , empirical evidence , human factors and ergonomics , suicide prevention , psychology , law , poison control , political science , criminology , medicine , medical emergency , public law , computer science , philosophy , epistemology , neuroscience , artificial intelligence
This article presents a comprehensive review of empirical micro‐level research which has attempted to evaluate changes in civil commitment law in the United States. It groups studies by category of the general question they address: Who are being processed through civil commitment and who are being committed? How dangerous are civil commitment candidates on admission, in the hospital, and after release? To what extent are court officers adhering to procedural protections in form and in intent? To what extent have restrictive criteria influenced the behavior of medical professionals in processing individuals through civil commitment? and What happens to individuals after their civil commitment experience and their involuntary hospitalization? The article points to needed research and concludes by summarizing existing research from the perspective of finding a balance between civil liverty and benevolence.