What is jimmy ryce act?

The Jimmy Ryce Act, also known as the Jimmy Ryce Involuntary Civil Commitment for Sexually Violent Predators’ Treatment and Care Act, is a law enacted in Florida in 1998. The act allows for the civil commitment of sexual offenders who have completed their criminal sentences but are deemed to be sexually violent predators who are likely to reoffend.

Under the act, those found to be sexually violent predators can be committed to a secure treatment facility for an indeterminate period until such time that they are deemed safe to be released. The act applies to offenders who have committed aggravated sexual battery, attempted such offenses, or committed any offense in which they had a prior history of sexually motivated wrongdoing.

The act is named after Jimmy Ryce, a 9-year-old boy who was abducted, raped, and murdered by Juan Carlos Chavez, a repeat sex offender, in 1995. The case brought public attention to the issue of sex offenders who reoffend, leading to the creation of this act and similar laws in other states.