This book investigates the legal and ethical tensions inherent in the use of preventive detention and risk assessment tools within modern criminal justice systems. Bernadette McSherry, a prominent legal scholar, examines how the state balances public safety concerns against individual civil liberties. The text analyzes the shift toward actuarial risk assessment models and the subsequent impact on human rights frameworks in various jurisdictions.

Legal scholars and practitioners frequently cite this work as a critical examination of the erosion of traditional due process protections. Experts highlight the text for its rigorous academic approach to the complex intersection of law, psychiatry, and public safety.