"Torture serves no legitimate nor constructive purpose."
Really? That brings another issue to mind that in no way has anything to do with this topic so I will not go there.
Castration anybody...?
by Rabbit 31 Replies latest social current
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John Doe
And I'll bet it involves detainees, right?
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mrsjones5
Doe, I'm not going there.
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cheerios
They heal well with very little pain or infection, as the nerves and blood supply are cut-off. A similar technique is used on people already to treat hemorrhoids.
why would you rubberband someone's happy sack to treat hemorrhoids
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Rabbit
Good question, Cheerios. LOL
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Big Tex
A better solution is life without parole. Pedophiles are extraordinarily self-centered and egocentric. They care only for their wants and desires. Worse, they see nothing wrong with raping a child.
I don't pretend know the effects one way or the other when a pedophile is chemically castrated. But I do wonder, how comfortable would people feel if the state came forward with a chemical "solution" that, they claimed, would remove the danger from someone like say Charles Manson. Or Jack the Ripper.
Just curious, but how comfortable would people feel letting a mass murderer out if they were chemicall "treated"? How safe would folks feel realizing that any "mistake" results in the death of someone innocent?
No, I'm sorry but the only solution is life without parole. Lock 'em up and throw away the key. There are some people who, by their actions, lose the privilege of living with the rest of humanity and deserve only isolation for the greater good.
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Rabbit
Tex:
Just curious, but how comfortable would people feel letting a mass murderer out if they were chemicall "treated"? How safe would folks feel realizing that any "mistake" results in the death of someone innocent?
No, I'm sorry but the only solution is life without parole.
With the 'state of the art' as it is...I wouldn't feel very comfortable. Maybe someday science will figure out the "why" and either fix it or disable that part of a persons brain. Maybe, they'll even be able to function properly, too.
But, that's for the future, right now the reality is...they don't get life in prison. They should. I cannot understand why they are allowed -- by early release-- to victimize new children. So, whatevere 'therapies' that exist now, I think society should avail themselves.
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Rabbit
I didn't know, a lot about this subject, especially that it is already allowed in several states !
Wiki:
Chemical castration
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The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (August 2009) Chemical castration is the administration of medication designed to reduce libido and sexual activity, usually in the hope of preventing rapists, pedophiles and other sex offenders from re-offending. Unlike surgical castration, where the testes are removed through an incision in the scrotum, [ 1 ] chemical castration does not actually castrate the person, nor is it a form of sterilization, hence the term "chemical castration" has been called a misnomer. [ 2 ] . Chemical castration is generally considered reversible when treatment is discontinued; in the case of Depo Provera, "no permanent physical change is wrought in the body." [ 2 ] Castration has, from time to time, been used as an instrument of public and/or judicial policy despite concerns over human rights and possible side effects. [ 3 ] [ 4 ]
[edit] Application
Chemical castration involves the administration of anti-androgen drugs, such as cyproterone or the birth-control drug Depo-Provera (an injection that lasts for three months per dose, making compliance easier to track).
[edit] Effects
When used by men, these drugs can reduce sex drive, compulsive sexual fantasies, and capacity for sexual arousal. Life-threatening side effects are rare, but some users show increases in body fat and reduced bone density, which increase long-term risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. They may also experience other "feminising" effects such as gynecomastia, reduced body hair, and loss of muscle mass [ 5 ] .
[edit] Ethics
Chemical castration is presented as a humane alternative to life-long imprisonment or surgical castration, since the effects are claimed to be temporary and are intended to stop sex offenders from re-offending. However, the American Civil Liberties Union opposes the coerced administration of any drug, including antiandrogen drugs for sex offenders, arguing that forced chemical castration is a "cruel and unusual punishment", and thereby constitutionally prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. They also stated that it interfered with the right to procreate, and could expose users to various health problems. [ 6 ] It has also been argued that, based on the Fourteenth Amendment, the procedure fails to guarantee due process of law - although the laws mandating the treatment do so without respect to gender, the actual effect of the procedure falls disproportionately upon males. [ 4 ] In the case of voluntary statutes, the ability to give informed consent is also an issue: in 1984, the U.S. state of Michigan's court of appeals held that mandating chemical castration as a condition of probation was unlawful, on the grounds that the drug MPA had not yet gained acceptance as being safe and reliable, and also due to the difficulty of obtaining informed consent under these circumstances. [ 4 ]
[edit] Studies
In 1981, in an experiment by the American Psychiatric Association, 48 males with long standing histories of sexually deviant behaviour were given medroxyprogesterone acetate for as long as 12 months. Forty of those subjects were recorded as to have diminished desires for deviant sexual behaviour, less frequent sexual fantasies, and greater control over sexual urges. The American Psychiatric Association recorded a continuation of this more positive behaviour after the administration of the drug had ended, with no evidence of adverse side effects, and recommended medroxyprogesterone acetate along with counselling as a successful method of treatment for serial sex offenders. [ 7 ]
[edit] History and use by country
The first use of chemical castration occurred in 1944, when diethylstilbestrol was used with the purpose of lowering male testosterone. [ 4 ] .
[edit] United States
In America, the drug Depo Provera, a progestin, has become the prominent means of chemical castration. [ 4 ] In 1966, John Money prescribed medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, the base ingredient now used in Depo Provera) as a treatment for a patient dealing with pedophilic urges. He became the first American to employ chemical castration. [ 4 ] Despite its long history and established use, the drug has not been approved by the FDA for use as a treatment for sexual offenders. [ 4 ]
At least nine states in the United States (California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Oregon, Texas, Wisconsin) have experimented with chemical castration [ 4 ] . California was the first state to use chemical castration as a punishment for sex offenders. In cases in which the victim is under 13 years of age, California judges may require first-time offenders to undergo chemical castration. After a second offense, treatment is mandatory. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] In Iowa and Florida, offenders may be sentenced to chemical castration in all cases involving serious sex offenses. As in California, treatment is mandatory after a second offense. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed Senate Bill 144 June 25, 2008, allowing Louisiana judges to sentence convicted rapists to chemical castration. [ 6 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ]
[edit] California
Following the passage of a modification to Section 645 of the Californiapenal code in 1996, [ 12 ] California became the first U.S. state to enact compulsory chemical castration as punishment for child molestation. [ 13 ] This law stipulates that anyone convicted of child molestation with a minor under 13 years of age may be treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate (brand name: Depo Provera) if they are on parole and if this is their second offense. [ 12 ] Offenders are required to accept the chemical castration treatment. [ 13 ] The passage of this law led to similar laws, such as Florida's Statute Section 794.0235 which was passed into law in 1997. [ 14 ]
[edit] Europe
The drug cyproterone acetate has been commonly used for chemical castration throughout Europe. It is similar to the drug MPA used in America. [ 4 ]
In the United Kingdom, computer scientist Alan Turing, famous for his contributions to mathematics and computer science, was a closet homosexual who chose to undergo chemical castration in order to avoid imprisonment in 1952. [ 15 ] At the time, homosexuality was still illegal and considered to be a mental illness that could be treated with chemical castration. [ 15 ] Turing experienced side effects such as breast enlargement [ 16 ] and bloating of the physique [ 15 ] . Two years later, he committed suicide. [ 17 ] In 2009, the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, issued a public apology for the British government's "appalling" actions after an online petition seeking the same gained 30,000 signatures and international recognition. [ 18 ]
In the 1960s, German physicians used antiandrogens as a treatment for sexual paraphilia [ 4 ]
On September 25th, 2009, Poland passed legislation for forcible castration of pedophiles. [ 19 ]
[edit] Israel
In May 2009, two brothers from Haifa, convicted pedophiles, agreed to undergo chemical castration to avoid committing further crimes. [ 20 ]
[edit] References
- ^"Can Castration Be a Solution for Sex Offenders? Man Who Mutilated Himself in Jail Thinks So, but Debate on Its Effectiveness Continues in Va., Elsewhere" by Candace Rondeaux for the Washington Post, July 5, 2006
- ^ ab"Chemical castration - breaking the cycle of paraphiliac recidivism" Social Justice, Spring, 1999 by Christopher Meisenkothen.
- ^"Florida'S 1997 Chemical Castration Law: A Return to the Dark Ages"
- ^ abcdefghij"Castration of Sex Offenders: Prisoners’ Rights Versus Public Safety" Charles L. Scott, MD, and Trent Holmberg, MD
- ^Can drugs help sex offenders? by Clare Murphy for the BBC, 13 June 2007
- ^ abChemical Castration: A Return to the Dark Ages Florida, August 1997, PDF
- ^American Psychiatric Association
- ^California code
- ^"Chemical castration for paedophiles approved" in California 21 September 1996
- ^Iowa Code 2007 Quick Retrieval
- ^ The 2007 Florida Statutes: 794.0235 Administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) to persons convicted of sexual battery.
- ^ ab "XII. SEX OFFENDERS: Children and minors". California State Senate . http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/SEN/COMMITTEE/STANDING/PUBLICSAFETY/bills/_6bill12.htm . Retrieved 2006-11-23 . The web page notes the Chemical Castration clause as a repeal and an addition to Section 645.
- ^ ab "California child molesters could face chemical castration". CNN. 1996-08-29 . http://www.cnn.com/US/9608/29/castration/ . Retrieved 2006-11-23 .
- ^ LARRY HELM SPALDING (1998). "FLORIDA'S 1997 CHEMICAL CASTRATION LAW: A RETURN TO THE DARK AGES". Florida State University Law Review.
- ^ abcThe Turing enigma: Campaigners demand pardon for mathematics genius by Jonathan Brown for the Independent, 18 August 2009
- ^http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/09/an-apology-to-alan-turing.html
- ^Thousands call for Turing apology, BBC, 31 August 2009
- ^Treatment of Alan Turing was “appalling” - PM
- ^[1]
- ^ Article from the Israeli paper Haaretz
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JeffT
There is some evidence (too lazy to find a reference just now but it seems reasonable) that castrating sex offenders just makes them more violent. They can't have sex so they act aggresively. Don't know if this applies to chemical castration.
If you want to protect society, lock them up and throw away the key. If you want them to hurt some put them in general pop, they'll get a dose of their own medicine.
