NARSOL totally opposes forced chemical amd physical castration for those who have committed sexual crime.
The positive benefits are far below what might conceivable justify its usage, and the negative effects are medically serious. (1)
The vast majority of the population on whom it is forced, through more acceptable forms of therapy and self-motivation, will not reoffend sexually. (2)
The moral and constitutional objections are universal and compelling. (3)
As with the registry and all restrictions that target persons convicted of a sexual offense, the procedure would not result in any significant reduction in future offenses. Most future child molesters are not those already convicted, but rather family members and other trusted individuals who may never even enter the criminal justice system.(4)
As abhorrent as non-consensual chemical castration is, forced physical castration goes many steps beyond. Physical castration cannot be undone when it is later discovered that individuals are, after all, not guilty of the crimes for which they were convicted, sentenced, and surgically maimed at the hands of the state.
DNA evidence now reveals such persons every year. How many more victims of mistaken identification or malicious wrongful accusation exist? In addition to the violence wreaked upon innocent individuals, such situations are an open invitation to litigation against the state and the awarding of enormous amounts of taxpayer funds to be paid to those who were so brutally wronged.
Currently, while several states allow the choice of castration by the affected person, no states require it–although a bill or two is introduced somewhere many legislative sessions. For the 2024 session, Louisiana has a bill requiring forced physical castration for certain male and female offenders.
No valid reasons exist for legislation that mandates forced, non-consensual castration, either chemical or physical. NARSOL protests in the strongest possible terms the use of these practices in the treatment or management of persons with sexual crime convictions.