Maximum Length of Initial and Subsequent Commitment and Commitment Setting in States With Civil Commitment Statutes for Substance Abuse
| Commitment Periods and Setting | Statute Exists, Used Regularly (n = 14) | Statute Exists, Extent of Use Unknown (n = 6) | Statute Exists, Used Rarely or Never (n = 13) | All States with Statute (n = 33) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum initial commitment period* | ||||
| Up to 1 month | 2 | – | 2 | 4 |
| 1–2 months | 5† | 1 | 1 | 7† |
| 2–3 months | 5 | 2 | 3‡ | 10‡ |
| 3–6 months | 2 | 2 | 6‡ | 8‡ |
| 6–12 months | 1† | – | 1 | 2† |
| Longer than 1 year or indefinite | – | 1 | 2‡ | 3‡ |
| Maximum subsequent commitment period* | ||||
| 1–2 months | 2 | – | 1‡ | 3‡ |
| 2–3 months | 7 | 1 | 3‡ | 11‡ |
| 3–6 months | 1 | 1 | 6‡ | 8‡ |
| 6–12 months | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| >1 year | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Not applicable§ | – | 2 | 3‡ | 5‡ |
| Commitment setting | ||||
| Inpatient only | 4 | 1 | 3‡ | 8‡ |
| Inpatient or outpatient | 9 | 5 | 9‡ | 23‡ |
| Unspecified | 1 | – | 2 | 3 |
↵* Every 30 days = 1 month. Thus, 60 days = 2 months, 90 days = 3 months, etc.
↵† Includes one state in which the maximum period for inpatient and outpatient commitment differ.
↵‡ Includes one or more states in which the maximum commitment period for alcohol and drug use differ.
↵§ The review process for ongoing commitment is neither judicial nor quasi-judicial in nature (e.g., falls under the authority of the state's mental health department).