A 1995 law allows civil confinement of individuals judged to be sexual predators who would pose a danger to others if released.
Confinement can occur even after the individuals finish prison terms for their criminal convictions.
The state now has approximately 135 people either awaiting trial or already judged to be a danger to society and requiring treatment. Under the bill, the state would merely have to certify that a person should not be released because he had not completed a course of treatment. Current law requires that the state prove that the person's mental state has not changed. If the treatment were working, there would obviously be some change. Daniel Raynak, a Phoenix lawyer for many of those confined under the law, opposed the bill.