What is the Difference Between Civil Commitment and Criminal Punishment?
Civil commitments may seem much like criminal punishments, but they differ in three main ways: • The goal of civil commitment is to treat and rehabilitate a patient, not punish them for violating a crime, • Civil commitments are generally for an indefinite period of time, while criminal punishments usually have a set time limit, and • Arguing against civil commitment takes proof of clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, where criminal punishment usually only requires a preponderance of the evidence.
