Secure Civil Confinement and Treatment Facility for Sexually Violent Predators, Arcadia, FL

Department of Children and Families • Arcadia, FL

The Florida Civil Commitment Center was designed to be housed on a 14-acre site and with maximum security buildings and perimeter. The Center includes the following designated buildings:

• Six housing dormitories, including one reception dormitory (7th building – future)
• Resident recreation building
• Medical services building, including infirmary and dental clinic
• Multipurpose treatment / educational / therapeutic activities buildings, including:

• Visitation hall
• Education hall
• Chapel / education hall
• Clinical services offices
• Administrative building
• Kitchen and cafeteria
• Outdoor recreational facilities, including basketball, volleyball, etc.

Strollo Architects and Liberty Behavioral Health Corp. worked side-by-side in the development of a facility to deliver effective sex offender-specific treatment, rehabilitation and care in a secure environment for persons who had been detained or civilly committed pursuant to Florida’s “Jimmy Ryce Involuntary Civil Commitment Act for Sexually Violent Predators Treatment and Care Act.” Success necessitated a balanced approach to active treatment, therapeutic milieu, safety and security, medical care, timely data collection and reporting, and a fundamental respect for human rights and dignity.

The goal of the treatment program was to rehabilitate sexual offenders and instill cognitive awareness and self-management skills they needed to control their sexually deviant behavior and criminal offending so that they can be safely returned to the community – with an ideal of zero victimization in the future. Treatment is based on two pre-requisites: Qualified and well-trained staff and motivated clients with a willingness to benefit from the treatment.