There seems to be a new movement towards this in the UK.
What do we think?
I will just mention Alan Turing…
If prisoners had the option to reduce their sentence instead of mandatory … why not?
But would it actually work? I can see that it could kill off a physiological sexual response, but to the extent that sexual offences apparently may have as much to do with exercising power over the victim, is that impulse likely to disappear?
Yes, and when the definition of “sex offenders” becomes too broad due to socio-political changes, what then?
Aside from the intrusiveness and creepiness of lowering a man’s sex drive with drugs, for me there is another issue. This is another straw on the camel’s back about how men are slaves to their gonads and sexual urges. It’s kind of the other side to the religious principle that women are an irresistible temptation to men so women and men must be separated. I think this is backwards thinking, and we should be exploring different ways to dealing with the problem. This is just throwing up your hands and saying there’s nothing we can do about some men’s “uncontrollable” lust.
I wonder how the victims of their crimes would feel about that.
Chemical castration by use of testosterone blockers (long-acting injections which work for 6 months or more) is commonly done on prostate cancer patients at present. It’s been an option for sex offenders in some jurisdictions for as long as 4 or more decades. It works by lowering testosterone levels down as low as ‘undetectable’.
In the latter population, studies have shown a great reduction in not only sexual interest, but also aggression. Having worked in Corrections myself, I can certainly see it as an adjunct treatment modality in addition to psychiatric/behavioral interventions. But it’s certainly no cure and should not be considered a sex offender’s sole treatment.
This article is from 20 years ago but might still be of interest.
Expert says castration no cure for pedophilia
According to a number of European studies, the procedure has shown reductions in male libido while also decreasing recidivism rates.
Recidivism rates of sex offenders castrated in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and Norway ranged from 1.1 percent to 7.3 percent.
One German study found that 3 percent of men had been involved in sex offenses after castration while 46 percent of noncastrated men had been involved in sex offenses.
NB: at the time, Texas had been performing voluntary castrations on inmates for 3½ years. The state authorized castrations in '97 with the first in December of 2001.
If it helps protect the public, I’m fine with it as a condition of release.
Also this isn’t the same thing as what happened with Turing. Consenting adults are not the same thing as people who forcibly sexually abuse people.
The big difference is that Turing wasn’t guilty of any moral impropriety. His offense was against an archaic, barbaric law against homosexuality. The treatment probably drove him to suicide.
At most, I think this option should be voluntary and offered as an incitement to shorter incarceration, but only if it’s shown to be highly effective. From what Qadgop and Skywatcher posted, apparently it’s only useful in conjunction with other interventions, and I’d suggest that those other methods must include regular monitoring – essentially, long-term or even lifetime parole, depending on circumstances.
I’ve also seen it ordered for men with severe mental impairment or post-traumatic brain injury who cannot be taught to channel this in appropriate ways. There are also serious ethical issues with this, but if it’s the best alternative, I’m personally OK with it.
There are quite a few people who are OK with, shall we say, chopping off all their equipment, but that’s not the way things are done in a civilized society.
Call me a cynic, yet I see this as a way of saving all the money incarceration costs than allowing freedom for rehabilitated prisoners who have earned the right for early release. All the monitoring or other treatment would also cost a lot of money and if that is de funded it’s all about this chemical stuff really reducing aggression else the public has been betrayed.
If it doesn’t cure the inmate of the “power agression” over children and adults, I could only agree if it does not give them release from prison.
Maybe a less harsh prison. Better conditions. If they agree to other treatment, as well. Psychiatric treatment.
But no freedom.
I don’t trust it to work.
Perhaps a better solution would be 26 rounds of highly targeted radiation of the Prostate Gland!
I had this for prostate cancer. Painless. Cured the cancer; Absolutely no sex drive.
I see my question about the power/aggression aspect of sexual offences was answered in the details of the report, and this isn’t a done deal, rather yet more pilots/investigation:
My understanding is that this is a voluntary programme, it’s not being forced on prisoners.
I’d say welcome, but I see you joined nearly 10 years ago !
(Is that a record ?)