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February 8, 2009
Alabama legislators discussing castration and other novel punishments for sex offenders
This local story from Alabama describes a number of novel or near-novel alternative punishment for sex offenders being proposed in the state legislature:
A bill introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives this week would require convicted sex offenders who targeted young children to be surgically castrated before leaving prison. The bill would require castration for male sex offenders older than 21 convicted of a sex crime against a victim younger than 12.
Rep. Steve Hurst, D-Munford, has pushed legislation authorizing castration for two years. “We need a stronger deterrent than what we have now,” said Hurst, who introduced the bill Tuesday. “I’d like for Alabama to take the lead and say that enough is enough.”...
If passed as it is now written, the proposed law would make Alabama the 10th state to authorize castration for sex offenders and the only state that would require surgical castration. The other states call for chemical castration....
In chemical castration, a man is routinely given shots that reduce the amount of testosterone in his body and lower his sex drive. Montana, Oregon and Wisconsin permit the chemical method only. California, Florida, Iowa and Louisiana also use the chemical method, but allow offenders to undergo a voluntary surgical operation.
Alabama would join Texas as the only state that authorizes surgical castration only, in which testicles, which produce most of the body’s testosterone, are surgically removed. Unlike the proposed Alabama law, Texas requires voluntary consent in all cases....
Other proposed bills affecting sex offenders have been introduced in the legislative session. A House bill would add colleges and universities to the areas in which sex offenders cannot live within 2,000 feet. A proposed Senate bill would prevent sex offenders from living in the county where the offense occurred.
February 8, 2009 at 08:38 PM | Permalink
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Comments
As a victim of sexual abuse myself, I think that this is a wonderful idea and I hope that the bill passes and becomes law. I think that this bill would stop alot of sexual abuse from happening and convicted sexual predators would no longer be able to commit horrible things to our precious children. Its a great thing. Castration. Pass it.
Posted by: asheley | Feb 11, 2009 1:14:40 PM
I am a police officer for 20 years. Castrate the individuals who harm and disrupt the inocent lives of young children. It is not only part of the punishment but it is a part of their rehabilitation.
Has anything else ever worked? NO
Lets extend it to the animals who exploit children on the web also.
Posted by: tom | Feb 12, 2009 5:15:26 AM
I'm not a lawyer or officer, but my late mother had a good suggestion...
All of these so called humans should have the crime tattooed right on their foreheads for all the world to see. Castration too.
Posted by: Sally | Feb 13, 2009 7:23:37 PM
I am a victim of a sex offender and I feel that the bastards must pay for what they have done with the youth of the future. Surgical Castration is not enough!!!!
I feel this is one step forward into eliminating these sick bastards. I was abuse by a close relative at age 7. I suffered this horrible ordeal for years. Twenty years have passed and I still have flash backs. I am scarred for life. I feel the pain and hope this law passes not only in Alabama but through out the country.
Posted by: anonymous | Feb 16, 2009 7:09:02 PM
If you judge, you shall be judged. Those without sin cast the first stone. It is a crime of the mind so cutting anything off will not prevent it.
Posted by: Anonymous | Mar 6, 2009 7:53:03 PM
Understanding your pain but to be able to forgive is a greater gift. I to was abused as a child but rather than to hate i came up with a solution and pehaps the cure for rec versing the vampire effect that has been going on since i was a child. We did not protect our children like we are trying to do now. But what of those who are bitten by the perversion of a sex offender now? Shall we ridicule them in ten to twenty years for becoming what we hate now? Or should we educate and allow to be tought how to overcome the problem. Sex offenders are cureable but the public doesnt want to believe it. I have designed a program that does all of this. It can cure who is curable. Control who is controlable, and convict the convictable.
This program is also capable of luring the most notorious of offenders even before they have been discovered yet. The name of my program is self explained, OPEN SITE victim prevention. Onerous Prevention Educational Need Silence Is The Enemy. So i chalenge you to remain part of the problem full of hate or care about what is happening and become the solution. The time is now!
Posted by: Cyoteone | Oct 18, 2009 1:30:02 PM
Cruel and unusual punishment is prohibited for a good reason. Castration is as cruel as it gets. If these sex offenders are horrible enough for us to cast aside our Constitutional protections of ourselves and violate our own laws, then they can just as easily be excuted or imprisoned for life rather than sexually mutilated and then set free. The fact that this law specificially exempts female sex offenders further demonstrates how unconstitutional it is. It provides unequal protection under the law, mandating lesser sentences for women guilty of the same crime. Further, the American hatred for testosterone is a hysteria with no basis in reality. Testosterone is treated here as a source of evil, as if removing it removes the problem. This is ridiculous and ignores the fact that pedophiles aren't driven by the normal sexual thoughts and urges. They are driven by a deviant train of thought. If we are unable to alter their brains and how they think about sex, then we should instead sentence them to life without parole for the benefit of society. If their crimes are so horrific that we believe an evil and blatantly cruel punishment is warranted, execute them. A man without testicles can still rape or molest. A woman without ovaries can do the likewise. And a sex offender who has been sexually mutilated is now an angry sex offender. This is not a smart approach to take. It is not well thought out. It is reactionary and foolish.
This is a case of hysteria and revenge overriding adult human intelligence. Once surgical castration is permitted as a punishment, just as it was in Rome, it will be used for other crimes as more and more politicians seek to get re-elected by claiming to be 'tough on crime' and screaming for more and more men to be castrated for lesser and lesser offenses, until a man arrested for shouting at his wife is mandated to be castrated, too. Mark my words, if this is permitted then sexual mutilations and tortures by the state will spread until everyone citizen is afraid of their own government. The Founding Fathers knew what they were doing when they prohibited this kind of cruel and unusual punishment. You can never afford to give this kind of cruel power and authority to government. It WILL be abused.
Posted by: Memphis Steve | Nov 24, 2009 10:13:38 AM
good idea in theory. but what about those wrongfully convicted of these types of crimes. when new evidence comes to light or someone tells the trueth about what happened. what do you do then the person that was convicted is already fucked you done cut his nuts off and he didnt even do anything to deserve it what are you going to do tell him your sorry.
Posted by: michelle | Mar 9, 2010 10:30:06 PM
Nice post, great detail. I would have liked to see the costs that are associated to it so I could add to my business case justifications to use the technology. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Oil Drilling Chemicals | Dec 27, 2010 5:23:52 AM
