Louisiana Passes Castration for Sex Offenders Bill

[mostlylurking]

A judge I knew in Mich. imposed this sentence, using Depo-Provera, against a man who had abused his step-daughter. The irony was that the convicted man was a member of the founding family of the large pharmaceutical company which developed the drug. I will not name the company but just say I know this case fairly well because my dad was a vp and officer of the company. Also my roomate for law school was this judge's clerk. It was also highly publicized in my hometown, - highly criticized and highly hailed, as a decision. Whether for or against, most agreed it was a clever and creative decsion and quite noteworthy, given the identity of the the defendant. I think it may have been overturned later (using depo in that manner), but not before the guy served several years and then was required to continue to get the shots when he got out on probation. I heard from some in the know that when he got off probation he voluntarily continued to get the shots from his private physician. He wanted them. He said he did not want to re-offend. People used to joke about him being the ulimate customer and PR nightmare of his own family's company.

Eve

Wow. If something like this could really cause a person to lose the desire to hurt the kids, then I could support it as a solution.
Truly, I would prefer to see people rehabilitated than use the DP. I'm just so skeptical about release and re-offending....

 

[Brefie]

Isn't Depo-Provera a birth control?

 

[sherri79]

Isn't Depo-Provera a birth control?

yes.
http://www.depoprovera.com/vc-prospect-user.asp#2 my understanding is it is a synthetic female hormone. in women it makes you not ovulate. in men it lowers the production of testosterone. my understanding could be totally wrong. you have been warned.

 

[eve]

Isn't Depo-Provera a birth control?

Yes, but it was used for chemical castration, in effect, for a male, in the case I described. I am not sure what dosage adjustments or whether any secondary drugs may have been given (other hormones, perhaps) but I know that Depo was the main element of the chemical castration regime for this guy.

Eve

 

[sherri79]

Isn't Depo-Provera a birth control?

this is mostly medical mumbo gumbo to me but this part was understandable.

Other uses
Depo-Provera is also used with male sex offenders as a form of chemical castration as it has the effect of drastically reducing sex drive in males.[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depo-Provera the rest of the page is about its effect as a birth control.

 

[Brefie]

yes.
http://www.depoprovera.com/vc-prospect-user.asp#2 my understanding is it is a synthetic female hormone. in women it makes you not ovulate. in men it lowers the production of testosterone. my understanding could be totally wrong. you have been warned.

Yes, but it was used for chemical castration, in effect, for a male, in the case I described. I am not sure what dosage adjustments or whether any secondary drugs may have been given (other hormones, perhaps) but I know that Depo was the main element of the chemical castration regime for this guy.

Eve

this is mostly medical mumbo gumbo to me but this part was understandable. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depo-Provera the rest of the page is about its effect as a birth control.

Thanks for your responses...and thanks for the warning Sherri!!! lol It made me giggle

 

[kgeaux]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351386,00.html

I've read somewhere that this isn't a good idea because the offender would still commit the crime by using foreign objects.
Has anybody else heard this.
I'll look it up and post links when I find them.

Since rape is a crime of anger, domination and hatred, there are many who believe that this will not stop a rapist. HOWEVER, when the hormones "go" the anger should go, too. I'd love to read studies done on this, except it probably hasn't been done often enough to have any kind of firm data.

As an aside: Louisiana has the death penalty for child rapists. THAt is controversial, too. Many people are afraid that the child rapist will just kill the victim, rather than leave a living witness.

It's all so darn complicated.

 

[kgeaux]

I guess what I don't understand is how you enforce them taking the medication....are they mandated to show up at a medical facility for regular injections? (If it's depo-provera as mentioned in this interesting article)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=461827&in_page_id=1770

Now, see, chemical castration just doesn't make any sense to me. Then you have to trust the offender to take his meds, and trusting a rapist is the worst kinda oxymoron! I'm more in favor of the "removal of the family jewels" variety of castration. No little round things hanging around (forgive me, gentlemen) no hormones, less anger, no sexual desires.....clip, snip, stitch. That's what I want to see done.

 

[eve]

Now, see, chemical castration just doesn't make any sense to me. Then you have to trust the offender to take his meds, and trusting a rapist is the worst kinda oxymoron! I'm more in favor of the "removal of the family jewels" variety of castration. No little round things hanging around (forgive me, gentlemen) no hormones, less anger, no sexual desires.....clip, snip, stitch. That's what I want to see done.

The one I knew of had to go in and have shots. Required as part of his probation.

But I think your idea has merit, as long as they do the surgery as an outpatient procedure, just like they are proposing for mastectomies! Or maybe they can do it in the swine lot, like my dad used to do when he was in practice as a large animal vet. Just lop 'em off and let 'em fall where they will - the mama pigs snarf 'em right up.

Good idea?

Eve

 

[Truly]

Now, see, chemical castration just doesn't make any sense to me. Then you have to trust the offender to take his meds, and trusting a rapist is the worst kinda oxymoron! I'm more in favor of the "removal of the family jewels" variety of castration. No little round things hanging around (forgive me, gentlemen) no hormones, less anger, no sexual desires.....clip, snip, stitch. That's what I want to see done.

This is an excellent solution, for many reasons. First, the punishment would actually fit the crime. Second, it would actually be an effective deterrent. Any man who even thought about raping a child would shrivel up at the thought of the punishment. It would stop all but the most psychopathic offenders. Third, a woman would be far less likely to inadvertently allow a child sexual offender to move into her home and prey on her kids. It would be way more effective than any registry for alerting women. If one woman went on a date, she'd tell her friends...word would get around. Finally, they would be unable to have any children of their own to assault.

 

[Eire]

I don't think it's going to work for all offenders, but I would like to see an in-depth study done. If it does prove to work, I say go for it. It's not a one-size fits all solution and it's not a one-size fits all problem. I seriously think that offenders will just use other things when their penis doesn't function. And like somebody else said, what about women? What do we do to them?

I don't support the death penalty and I never will. I do, however, support life without parole for child molesters and rapists. I think that should happen after the first offense, not the 5th or the 12th. Lock 'em up after strike one and that's that.

 

[White Rain]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351386,00.html

I've read somewhere that this isn't a good idea because the offender would still commit the crime by using foreign objects.
Has anybody else heard this.
I'll look it up and post links when I find them.

While I think this is a GREAT IDEA, I agree MsR, offenders WILL find a way...tongue, fingers, foreign objects....it never ends for sick, depraved minds.

 

[White Rain]

OK, so if the castration won't help, because they can use other objects and on the other thread about the DP in Child Rapes the DP won't be a deterrent, then what will work? If they go to jail, we end up letting them out to offend again, so what's the answer?

the answer? DEATH, but thats just MO.

 

[CrimeSolver]

Forget about chemical castration. They will just refuse to take the meds. It's too fraught with risk.

Surgical castration is a good idea, but only if voluntary, say in exchange for a lighter sentence. I'm sure at least some of these offenders would gladly forfeit their sexuality in its entirety, in exchange for physical freedom and freedom from aberrant urges.