Larry was convicted in 1995 of second-degree sexual assault, battery and false imprisonment. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. In 2003 the state committed him as a sexually violent person.

“I was quite angry,” said Larry about his commitment, in an interview shortly before his release. “Being placed under this law, I find it disturbing.” He considers it “double jeopardy,” referring to the portion of the Fifth Amendment that bars being tried twice for the same crime.

On the other hand, he said that he is not against the civil commitment law, but he thinks assessment should be done at the time of the initial sentencing.

Chapter 980 is used for only a small share of the state’s sex offenders. Currently, Sand Ridge is home to about 350 people. In all, the state’s sex offender registry, including people living in communities as well as those at Sand Ridge and penal institutions, contains 23,000 names.

Operating the Sand Ridge facility costs the state about $50 million a year. The cost is steep -- about $147,000 per patient in fiscal 2014. Keeping a person on supervised release is slightly less expensive, at $119,000.

Some people are not sure the savings are worth the risk.