Only Yesterday: The Rise and Fall of Twentieth Century Sexual Psychopath Laws

69 La. L. Rev. 549 2008-2009

45 Pages Posted: 9 Sep 2012

See all articles by Tamara Rice Lave

Tamara Rice Lave

University of Miami, School of Law

Date Written: September 9, 2012

Abstract

Sexually violent predator laws are not the first wave of American legislation aimed at committing sex offenders to locked mental hospitals; they are the second. Preceding them by half a century were the sexual psychopath laws, which differed in significant detail but provided the same basic framework of indeterminacy and dangerousness. This article looks at the history of the sexual psychopath laws. It begins by critically examining the popular belief that there was a sex crime wave. It then discussed different solutions proffered to solve the sex crime problem. Finally, it provides an overview of the sexual psychopath laws and discusses the reasons for their demise.

Keywords: Sexual psychopath, sex crime wave, Uniform Crime Reports

Suggested Citation

Lave, Tamara Rice, Only Yesterday: The Rise and Fall of Twentieth Century Sexual Psychopath Laws (September 9, 2012). 69 La. L. Rev. 549 2008-2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2143980

Tamara Rice Lave (Contact Author)

University of Miami, School of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 248087
Coral Gables, FL 33146
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.miami.edu/facadmin/tlave.php

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
77
Abstract Views
833
Rank
563,377
PlumX Metrics