Sexually Violent Predator Commitment Division

The Special Prosecution Unit Sexually Violent Predator Commitment Division ("SVP") was created in 1999 by the 76th Legislature in the Texas Health and Safety Code, Title 11, Chapter 841.  "The Legislature finds that a small but extremely dangerous group of sexually violent predators exits and that those predators have a behavioral abnormality that is not amendable to traditional mental illness treatment modalities and that makes the predators likely to engage in repeated predatory acts of sexual violence."  

Because of SPU's unique perspective on the prison culture and sexually violent offenders incarcerated within TDCJ, SPU assists every local prosecutor representing the State of Texas with the civil commitment of individuals who upon their release from TDCJ are believed to be sexually violent predators and thus still a danger to our communities.  SPU provides legal, financial, and technical assistance to these local prosecutors who have a civil commitment referral because a sexually violent predator's last sexual offense conviction occurred in their jurisdiction.