COURT RULES ON SEX OFFENDERS

The Supreme Court made it harder yesterday for states to keep sexual offenders locked up after their prison terms, requiring proof that and offender has a mental illness that causes serious difficulty with self-control.  Under the court's 7-2 decision, rapists, child molesters and other sex criminals must be treated the same as other people singled out for involuntary commitment.  For states that use commitments to extend violent sex criminals' time locked away from the public because of concerns about repeat offenders, the ruling was a defeat.  The court did not ban the commitments.

(Washington)