Sex Offenders Confined on an Island
One hour outside of Seattle, there's a small island in the Puget Sound that people rarely visit. Some residents rarely leave.
This place, McNeil Island, is home to a corrections center that houses hundreds of the state's most dangerous sexual predators.
Cameras are almost never allowed inside this controversial facility, but in February 2010, correspondent Lisa Ling was granted rare access inside the residents' rooms, common areas and therapy sessions.
McNeil Island is only accessible by ferry. At the port, Lisa is met by Kelly Cunningham, the superintendent of this special commitment center. "[It's] a mental health facility for Level 3 sexual predators," Lisa says. "The worst of the worst."
Every person confined in this facility has served time for sexual offenses. But, when their prison sentences were up, they weren't set free. Instead, they went before a review board and a judge. If these violent sexual predators were deemed too dangerous to return to society, they were committed to McNeil Island indefinitely.
"It's not voluntary, not by any means," Kelly says. "Our primary purpose is public safety. We don't want any more victims."
This place, McNeil Island, is home to a corrections center that houses hundreds of the state's most dangerous sexual predators.
Cameras are almost never allowed inside this controversial facility, but in February 2010, correspondent Lisa Ling was granted rare access inside the residents' rooms, common areas and therapy sessions.
McNeil Island is only accessible by ferry. At the port, Lisa is met by Kelly Cunningham, the superintendent of this special commitment center. "[It's] a mental health facility for Level 3 sexual predators," Lisa says. "The worst of the worst."
Every person confined in this facility has served time for sexual offenses. But, when their prison sentences were up, they weren't set free. Instead, they went before a review board and a judge. If these violent sexual predators were deemed too dangerous to return to society, they were committed to McNeil Island indefinitely.
"It's not voluntary, not by any means," Kelly says. "Our primary purpose is public safety. We don't want any more victims."
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