The Waterkooler

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Some members of the Alabama House say that violent sex offenders who prey on children should be forced to undergo surgical castration to ensure that they do not hurt another child.

In an effort to strengthen a bill toughening the state's laws against sex offenders, the House added an amendment Thursday by Rep. Steve Hurst, D-Munford, that would require those convicted of violent sex crimes against children under 12 to undergo the operation to remove their sex drive.


Is chemical castration an acceptable punishment for male sex offenders?

Sex offenders, such as rapists, pedophiles, and exhibitionists, are among the highest reoccurring offense populations in the United States probation system. These offenders commit crimes that put fear into the general public and pose a threat to people that live in their neighborhoods. These offenders should be punished and not let off or forgiven of their crime(s) just because they have gone through a treatment program, most or which cannot show a significant success rate.

Chemical castration is an ideal punishment for sex offenders. When Depo-Provera is administerd, recidivism rates fall to 5%. Their sexual fantasies are lessened as a result of the reduction of testosterone levels. Although men administered this drug are capable of having sexual intercourse, many people argue that chemical castration is cruel and unusual punishment. This argument is countered by the fact that sex offenders are required to get injections only once a month. What is "cruel and unusual" is allowing sex offenders to attack innocent women and children. This effective therapy will protect future victims. It is an "offender friendly" way of reducing sexual violence. [LaLaunie Hayes.]

• Recidivism High
  A 1989 review of recidivism rates for sex offenders in North America and Europe, published in the Psychological Bulletin, came to the conclusion that "there is no evidence that treatment effectively reduces sex offense recidivism." In fact, the recidivism rate for counseled offenders was often higher than that of untreated ones. In Florida, men who completed counseling were re-arrested for a sex offense at a rate of 13.6%, while men who did not complete the counseling were arrested at only a 6.5% rate. In Philadelphia, those who were not counseled re-offended at less than half the rate of those who were. link
  
  
• Proponents of castration argue that it is justified and appropriate, that by controlling sex offenders' irresistable urges to rape or molest again, castration allows them to be released without endangering the public. Of more than 700 Danish sex offenders castrated following multiple convictions, relapse rates dropped from between 17% and 50% to just 2%. A Norwegian study showed the same for selected male and female sex offenders (the women had their ovaries removed). In smaller studies in Scandinavia and Italy, chemical castration was equally effective in some groups of volunteer prisoners, with the most dramatic reductions among pedophiles.
  
  
• Opponents say Castration Inneffective
  University of Alabama Criminal Justice Professor Robert Sigler said castration has not proven to be an effective way to stop sex offenders from repeating their crimes.
  
  "Research indicates that sexual abuse is not necessarily sexual. These people are mentally ill and sexual castration often does not solve the problem," Sigler said.
  
  He said a program where convicted sex offenders are required to take polygraph tests once a month is being used in some parts of Alabama and has proved more effective than castration. link
  
  

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