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Alabama legislators discussing castration and other novel punishments for sex offenders

By Douglas A. Berman

This local story from Alabama describes a number of novel or near-novel alternative punishment for sex offenders being proposed in the state legislature: A bill introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives this week would require convicted sex offenders who targeted young children to be surgically castrated before leaving prison. The bill would require castration for male sex offenders older than 21 convicted of a sex crime against a victim younger than 12. Rep. Steve Hurst, D-Munford, has pushed legislation authorizing castration for two years. ?We need a stronger deterrent than what we have now,? said Hurst, who introduced the bill Tuesday. ?I?d like for Alabama to take the lead and say that enough is enough.?... If passed as it is now written, the proposed law would make Alabama the 10th state to authorize castration for sex offenders and the only state that would require surgical castration...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on February 08, 2009 (boomark / email).