Assemblyman Tom McKevitt criticized the Assembly Majority for failing to take any action on civil confinement during a special legislative session at the Capitol.

Civil confinement would allow the courts to order the worst of convicted sex offenders, classified as Level 3 predators, held in secure mental-health facilities beyond their prison release dates.

"The failure to take action today by the Assembly Majority on civil confinement is nothing short of an utter failure to our children and families," McKevitt said. "When called upon to do the right thing for millions of New York families, the Assembly Majority chose to use civil confinement as a bargaining chip for other measures."

Governor Pataki called the state Legislature back to Albany to address civil confinement. The Assembly Majority failed to take action on the measure after negotiations broke down earlier today on other measures that would have been packaged together to reach an accord on civil confinement.

"For nearly 13 years, the Assembly Majority has failed to allow a civil confinement bill to come to the floor for a vote, until earlier this year when they presented a watered-down version of the measure," McKevitt remarked. "Sadly, with time running out this year, we are once again faced with an uncertain future for civil confinement. Still, with the support of Nassau County families, the fight will continue until passage of civil confinement is achieved."