The Future of Preventive Detention
26 Pages Posted: 17 May 2014
Date Written: 2014
Abstract
America is presently fighting a war on terror and war on sex offenders. In each, the government openly detains hundreds of individuals not for what they have done, but for what they might do. Some warn that this greatest restriction on liberty may expand to other types of people. This Article examines the risk of such expansion by putting our current wars in historical perspective. The two main conclusions are: (1) some categories of people detained in prior periods are not being detained today; and (2) the risk of expansion is real but lower than previously suggested.
Keywords: preventive detention, terrorism, sex offenders, history
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation