The Case Of Kansas V. Hendricks Essay

The case of Kansas v. Hendricks, 521 U.S. 346, (1997), is a United States Supreme Court case involving the constitutionality of a state civil commitment law, and how that law was being applied to persons who had been convicted of certain crimes. The law in question, was designed to civilly commit people who had a history of predatory sexual violence, and who had a personality disorder, or who had a mental abnormality (Cornell University, n.d.) In generic terms, the law was designed so that people, who have a history of sexual violence, and who were suffering from mental disorders or instability, could continue to be confined in order to protect the rest of society from them. The case in question, came about as a result of the passing of this law, and its use to keep Leroy Hendricks confined in a facility, so that he was segregated from the rest of society. This was done due to his extensive history of sexual violence towards children (Cornell University, n.d.). The state of Kansas passed the civil commitment law, which went into effect as Kan. Stat. Ann. 59-29a01 et seq. 1994, under the civil codes of the state, and not the criminal codes. The state used this new law, for the first time, when it sought to confine Leroy Hendricks, and keep him segregated from society, shortly before his release from prison (Cornell University, n.d.). Hendricks had a substantial criminal history of sexual molestation of children, and had shown no signs of rehabilitation. By using this…