Taking a fresh look at civil confinement for sex offenders.(Capital Region)

Byline: FRED LeBRUN

Among a fistful of early accomplishments of the fledgling Spitzer administration that still are lauded is passage of a law permitting civil confinement of the state's worst sex offenders after their sentences are served.

On its face, a tough piece of legislation intended to keep sex offenders off the streets and behind bars. Yet eight months after this controversial law went into effect, it's not at all clear how effective it really is.

That is, if we define effective as providing a legal path for civil confinement. While admittedly we have only a handful of resolved cases to look at so far, the outcomes of mandated civil …