Twenty minutes off the Puget Sound coast is an island that was the home to a state penitentiary until it closed in 2011. Now, it is used as a facility for the civil commitment of the state’s most violent sex offenders.
Residents wind up on McNeil when their prison terms have ended but a judge deems them still too dangerous for society. They’re placed indefinitely in what’s known as civil commitment — where in theory they’ll be treated until they no longer pose a threat. This could be a month or it could be forever.
It’s not an island paradise but it’s not a prison. VICE New Tonight sees what life is like for the residents.
Watch next: Meet gang members from Chicago's West Side - [ Ссылка ]
Subscribe to VICE News here: [ Ссылка ]
Check out VICE News for more: [ Ссылка ]
Follow VICE News here:
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Tumblr: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
More videos from the VICE network: [ Ссылка ]
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oBUJREw_aqE/maxresdefault.jpg)