Sex offenders could face chemical castration under government’s radical new prison plans
Sex offenders are reportedly facing chemical castration under the government's new prison plans.
Paedophiles and rapists could soon be offered a procedure that uses medications to reduce sex hormone production, such as testosterone in men.
The idea is that it reduces sex drive and sexual activity, something that's said to have worked in the US prison system.
Several US states have laws allowing chemical castration such as Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin.
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Studies have shown it can cut offending by 60 percent.
As reported by The Sun, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is now considering implementing chemical castration for inmates in the future.
"For too long, we have turned a blind eye to the threat sex offenders pose, considering the solutions too difficult or unpalatable," a government source told the outlet.
"Shabana isn’t squeamish about doing what it takes to protect the public.
"As always, she will grab this problem by the proverbials."
The outlet reports that The Independent Sentencing Review tried to push forward a voluntary pilot in the South West of England, but it was rejected.
Instead, the proposed pilot is reportedly set to roll out in 20 prisons across England and Wales.
The idea of compulsory chemical castration is also said to be on the cards, as part of the new prison reforms.
"Chemical castration or testosterone-lowering medications are effective for certain types of sexual offending," Dr Renee Sorrentino, a forensic psychiatrist and founder of the Institute of Sexual Wellness, told Newsweek.
Surgical castration, which has been approved in the US state of Louisiana who had approximately 2,200 child sex offenders in prison in 2024, is irreversible.
"This is a consequence," Republican state senator Valarie Hodges added. "It's a step beyond just going to jail and getting out."
However, Amber Vlangas, a spokesperson for non-profit Restorative Action Alliance (RAA), is against the idea.
"These bills, if enacted into law, would mandate forced mutilation resulting in a permanent loss of an important bodily function as a form of criminal punishment," she said in 2024.
"If these bills pass in Louisiana, what will be next? Will bills be introduced to cut off the hands of all thieves? Are we comfortable opening the door for the state to administer such barbaric sentences for other offences?"
LADbible Group has contacted the Ministry of Justice for comment.
Anish Vij