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Assessments of dangerousness: Legal, research, and clinical developments

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Abstract

This article explores recent groundbreaking court decisions regarding permissible preventive detentions that are based on assessments of dangerousness. It is concluded that courts are increasingly receptive to upholding such preventive actions, and that the research to date has left unresolved important questions regarding the validity of these assessments. Basic principles of risk assessment are also presented and discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The City University of New York, 445 W. 59th St., 10019, New York, NY

    Thomas R. Litwack Ph.D., J.D. (Professor of Psychology)

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  1. Thomas R. Litwack Ph.D., J.D.
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Litwack, T.R. Assessments of dangerousness: Legal, research, and clinical developments. Adm Policy Ment Health 21, 361–377 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00710626

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