The issue of how to deal with sex offenders has been a controversial one for a long time now. Each state addresses the issue differently, and Michigan’s approach (specifically the inhumane restrictions of our sex offender registry) has drawn a great deal of ire over the years. But the state of Alabama has recently made a decision that made headlines all over the country, to deal with certain sex offenders by chemically castrating them!
All child sex offenders in Alabama will be chemically castrated!
Under the new law, all people who were convicted of sex crimes against a child under the age of 13 will only be granted parole if they submit to chemical castration. In other words, those who sexually assaulted children in any way will only be allowed to be released from prison if they consent to the process of being injected with a chemical cocktail that will leave their testicles essentially “irrelevant”.
Any type of castration is a very controversial human rights subject
Many people were stunned when the legislature in Alabama passed this bill. What’s even more amazing was the fact the senator who proposed this bill – Representative Steve Hurst – initially advocated for actual castration, which involves the physical removal of the testes. However he “settled” for the chemical version, believing that it would receive more support. As he explains it, if reducing the libidos of child sex abusers “will help one or two children, and decrease that urge to the point that person does not harm that child, it’s worth it!”
What exactly happens when someone is chemically castrated?
When someone is chemically castrated, the medication injected into them triggers the pituitary gland, reducing testosterone to prepubescent levels, which lowers the libido significantly. The very same law involving chemical castration was actually proposed just last year in Oklahoma, but didn’t pass because it met with too much opposition from human rights activists. Interestingly, the former Soviet republic of Moldova did pass a chemical castration law in 2012, but it was repealed the very next year on the grounds that it violated basic human rights.
Are there any side effects to chemical castration?
Even if you take the issues of human rights, ethical treatment of prisoners, and non-consensual medical treatment, there are some other very legitimate concerns that come into play when you use these drugs on people. Chemical castration causes a sudden drop in androgenic hormones. In addition to reducing libido and causing sexual dysfunction, this has been known to impair visual-motor task performance, cause serious declines in bone density (which in turn causes an increase in fractures), and ‘depressive symptoms’, which refers to common symptoms of clinical depression.
Is chemical castration the right choice for dealing with child sexual abusers?
As is evidenced by the recent decision made by the state of Alabama, there are obviously people who would say yes to that question. However, it seems that the majority of people don’t believe that this is the right course of action. Here at The Kronzek Firm, we believe that if you’ve been accused of a sex crime, and your rights are at risk of being violated by the state, make sure you get help from the sex crime defense attorneys who can make a difference. We’re available 24/7 at 866 766 5245 (866 7No Jail), including nights and weekends, because we know personal emergencies don’t keep business hours.