What is civil commitment?

Civil commitment claims to be about protecting a person or the public from crimes a person may commit. In Massachusetts, we refer to categories of civil commitment by their section in state law. Usually, when AMP talks about civil commitment we refer to people incarcerated under to Section 9 (also written §9), incarceration of people who “may” commit a sex-based crime in the future. These folks are in prison at Mass. Treatment Center (MTC), but not doing time on a transgression. While they are called "residents" of the prison, there is little practical difference between them and people doing time.

Other types of civil commitment are involuntary hospitalization for substance use (Section 35) or mental illness (Section 12).

In Massachusetts, 3 out of 4 Section 35 beds are in correctional facilities.​ Women cannot be incarcerated in a prison or jail on a Section 35, but may be involuntarily sent to a psychiatric facility instead.