Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - Page updated at 01:49 PM
DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Almost 300 of the state's worst sex offenders live in the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island. They've already served prison terms but are locked up indefinitely to protect society.
Washington state is wasting millions to help sex predators avoid lockup
In the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island, almost 300 sex offenders are detained indefinitely. The program protects society from predators. But it has been plagued by runaway legal costs, a lack of financial oversight and layers of secrecy, The Seattle Times has found.
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DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
The civil-commitment program's annual budget is about $50 million, which includes operation of the center on McNeil Island, along with legal costs that take almost a quarter of the budget.
Waiting on predator island: Chronic delays drive up cost of sex offenders' court cases
Sex offenders who face civil commitment at McNeil Island routinely postpone their trials for years, driving up costs and wasting state money. In King County, each case can cost up to $450,000.
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DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
"I don't know what I would have done if I was a juror and presented with the same information," says Bernadette McDonald, who was raped by Curtis Thompson after a King County jury declined to send him into the civil-commitment program.
Victim speaks out: 'I truly think he's evil and a monster'
In October 2003, a King County jury had to decide if repeat rapist Curtis Thompson should be freed from prison or committed to a sex-predator lockup on McNeil Island. Persuaded by the words of forensic psychologist Theodore Donaldson, the jurors set Thompson free. But 10 months later, he attacked four more women, killing one.
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DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
David Hackett, King County prosecutor in charge of civil commitment, stands behind piles of paperwork that represent just slightly more than two cases.
Tiny office says it can save state money on sex-offender defense
Washington has extensive problems with the legal bills of sex offenders who face indefinite lockup at the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island. The state Office of Public Defense says it could save taxpayers $1 million annually if it took over defense costs statewide.
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Definition of Civil Commitment:
Who can be confined? To be indefinitely housed at the Special Commitment Center, an offender must meet the legal definition of a "sexually violent predator": "Any person who has been convicted of or charged with a crime of sexual violence and who suffers from a mental abnormality or personality disorder which makes the person likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual violence if not confined in a secure facility." — Source: Revised Code of Washington
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