Alabama lawmakers passed legislation last week requiring certain child sex offenders to undergo chemical castration treatments. The bill now sits on Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk.
Chemical castration, as defined in the bill, involves taking medication to reduce or inhibit the production of testosterone or other chemicals to reduce an individual’s libido.
“This bill would provide that a person convicted of a sex offense involving a person under the age of 13 years who is eligible for parole, as a condition of parole, shall be required to undergo chemical castration treatment in addition to any other penalty or condition prescribed by law,” the bill reads.
Under the proposed law, offenders would have to pay for the treatment unless they are unable to pay, in which case the fee would be waived. Those who fail to comply would be taken back into custody.
If signed by Ivey, Alabama would join California, Louisiana, Iowa, and other states that allow the practice.
California enforces chemical castration on the second conviction “where the victim has not attained 13 years of age.” Sex offenders paroled in the state could opt for a surgical alternative. Iowa and Louisiana law allow for chemical castration on the first conviction.
The punishment has drawn criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union, which contends that chemical castration violates the parolee’s right to privacy and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
