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Virginia state senator urging study of physical castration for sex offenders

By Douglas A. Berman

As detailed in this AP piece, a "Virginia legislator is proposing castrating sex offenders as an alternative to the increasing costs to detain and treat them after they've served their prison sentences."  Here is more: Republican Sen. Emmett Hanger's bill would require the state to study the use of physical castration as an alternative to civil commitment for sexually violent predators.  A similar proposal was vetoed four years ago. The civil commitment program's budget grew from $2.7 million in 2004 to $24 million this year. Gov. Bob McDonnell has proposed spending nearly $70 million over the next two years to meet the increasing demands. Eight other states allow for some form of castration for sex offenders, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on January 26, 2011 (boomark / email).