Executive Order Expands Civil Commitment — Impacts Sex Offenders
President Trump’s July 24, 2025 Executive Order titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets” includes a critical and concerning development for the registrant community: it expands the federal government’s use of civil commitment, explicitly targeting “sexually dangerous” individuals.
The order directs the Department of Justice to aggressively use 18 U.S.C. § 4248, a law allowing for the indefinite civil commitment of people deemed “sexually dangerous,” even after they’ve completed their prison sentence. It instructs the Attorney General and Bureau of Prisons to identify additional candidates for commitment and streamline the process of obtaining court orders to keep them confined. The expansion could also influence state-level practices, especially in jurisdictions that already have or are considering similar civil commitment laws.
Civil commitment has long been criticized for detaining people indefinitely based on perceived future risk, not current criminal conduct. Many individuals subject to these proceedings are near release or already served their full sentence. This order may mean continued incarceration in psychiatric facilities under the guise of treatment. The civil commitment process often lack due process and offers minimal transparency or opportunity for release.
Section 3 of the order frames homelessness as a public safety crisis, authorizing sweeps and detentions under the guise of removing “disorder” from public spaces. This is deeply troubling for people on the registry, who often become homeless due to residency restrictions that bar them from most housing. Now, simply being unhoused could be interpreted as evidence of instability or dangerousness, which are grounds used to justify civil commitment.
FAC is very concerned about this Executive Order. In particular it’s impact on the thousands of individuals in Florida who are homeless, simply because residency restrictions and debilitating stigma have created situations of chronic joblessness and housing instability they have no control over. This is a major step backward for justice and civil liberties. It reinforces the false narrative that people on the registry are perpetual threats, ignoring decades of data showing extremely low recidivism rates among people with sex offense convictions — especially as they age.
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what private prison company paid 10,000,000.00 opps i meant *Cough donated to have lunch with trump? just like the nvida deal after they paid opps sorry again i meant donated and had lunch with trump and now there products can be sold where previously prohibited.
There are many States that are decrying this Executive Order and one already says it does NOT have the money to build commitment centers.
This is going to cause a barrage of lawsuits and many States are simply going to ignore it and not enforce this Executive Order and/or declare it unConstitutional.
It is unethical and morally wrong to criminalize homelessness.
Some people can’t help from being homeless.
It would be like ciminalizing those with autism.
Sanititariums and ‘Sanitarium-like’ institutions have historically failed.
People should realize that, one of the main reasons institutionalizations did not work is because of the horrible treatment that people were getting inside these facilities. The new Administration that has currently signed off on this has not properly prepared for anything. There’s Staffing issues, where to put facilities, how are things are going to be worked out, and the course factor. I know a facility that strictly does civil commitments, they were on the news one time complaining that the cost to house a civilly could find person was up to $100,000 per person. They were complaining about the taxes and they needed a better solution. What they did was, they use the prisons as a pretext, and as a screening ground, the only ferret out, the most likely person who needed treatment. Everyone else was treated at that level and released.
What other people don’t realize, and I’m telling everyone, in that executive order there is a provision to circumvent due process. Basically, they want to take people off the streets, including people on the registry, and send them straight to civil confinement. Maybe with little to no due process. That’s horrific.
Everyone is overlooking the most important part of this executive order. This order prioritizes the “tracking” of ALL “sex offenders”, not just the homeless. This order affects EACH AND EVERY PERSON on the registry. FAC must publish the fact sheet that accompanies this order so everyone fully understands what it says and does.
Potus came out with brilliant solution, better live in institutions than be homeless. I’m sure you’ll want your backyards clean, don’t you?
Nancy
How is criminalizing homelessness a brilliant idea? It’s cruel and inhumane.
Then how about you go stay in an institution and if you ever get out you can tell us what you think.
Institution will stabilize individuals in crisis, ensure their safety, and promote recovery and well-being through therapeutic interventions and medication management. So we don’t have them out there in Y our Back Yards
Nancy
Doubtful. I say Doubtful because in order to achieve your claims the country will have to spend money. Which is something that I don’t see happening. History has shown that. This country doesn’t want to address the causes of homelessness. Or mental health. The President and his minions want those problems swept under the carpet.
Sounds like brainwashing has already taken place with her and is looking to be spread the same via a mandatory system, which sounds much like communism in their forced methods around the globe or the fascism of yesteryear nearly 100 years ago. Here, take your meds and do this so you can be a good little one for the system and know we only want the best for you in how we feel it should be…
To those who truly need it, there should be a system to care for them, but for the others who are the victims of the system no matter their efforts to get away from it, this is not the answer. This action is truly the answer to what happened by prior leadership who did not care and looked the other way while enriching themselves off the backs of those who worked hard and are still working hard.
That sounds great on paper. If there were sufficient civil liberties oversight, some individuals would benefit. The problem is, the process is rife with civil liberties abuses. Look at how some famous and very well liked individuals are being treated under less intrusive conservatorships and you will see that we do not have a great system to protect our rights and freedoms in these types of regimes.
Amen! thank you Derek for once again simply and matter of factly pointing out the obvious to someone who obviously hasn’t suffered under the heavy burden of these draconian rules and laws. How can a public official be considered responsible passing a law to house people in a prison like settings while simultaneously cutting all funding for said institutions. If you haven’t read Derek’s writings and books about his personal years long struggles the registry, as a person forced to register in Florida you should. He single handedly fought the Book family in Florida court after they sued him for publicizing facts about what they do. He deserves our support
Even better solution, don’t create barriers to employment, house, and institute residency restrictions on law abiding citizens who have served their time. Do that and immediately cut the homeless population by 30% and no money spent on opening institutions for people who don’t need them.
There is the evaluation part you left out as well that needs attention since it’d be part of the process. You have your 5A rights to invoke, your 1A rights to use to record interactions, and your 4A rights to unreasonable search and seizures combined with 1A rights to be compelled to answer anything.
I certainly agree with you, in principle. However, under this current administration, they are disregarding amendments and rights. “Just cause” and “Due Process” are not words that he understands. I fear that even if you invoke the 5th, 1st, and 4th Amendment rights, you will still be evaluated unfairly.