Abstract Argues that this is not a cure-all treatment & should not be used for all sex offenders. How chemical castration (Depo Provera) works in treating paraphiliacs, but is not effective for the majority of sex offenders. Cites several reasons against chemical castration including danger of releasing sex offenders taking Depo Provera; infringement on Constitutional rights.
From the Paper "Chemical castration for sex offenders is a punishment that is rapidly gaining in popularity in the U.S., but does its effectiveness justify the violation of the rights of those treated with it? While chemical castration has been found to be effective in treating one type of sexual offender, chemical castration laws are calling for such treatments to be performed on all types of sexual offenders. The evidence indicates that the limited benefits of chemical castration are outweighed by the significant infringements of rights against those it will not help and the false sense of security that it provides.
Chemical castration is becoming a popular "get tough" measure against sex offenders that is gaining popularity across the country. In 1996 California became the first state to enact a chemical castration law, and in 1997 three other states..."
Abstract The paper examines the different chemical castration laws that call for such treatment on sexual offenders. It also looks the effectiveness of castration on different types of sexual offenders and the benefits of this treatment in reducing recidivism rates. The paper analyzes the danger of creating a false sense of security by relying solely on this treatment. It also discusses the infringement of offenders' constitutional rights by castration.
From the Paper "Chemical castration is becoming a popular "get tough" measure against sex offenders that is gaining popularity across the country. In 1996 California became the first state to enact a chemical castration law, and in 1997 three other states followed their lead. Under the California statute chemical castration is mandated for all paroled two-time sex offenders, and within the judge or parole board's discretion for first time offenders. "It will now be possible for judges in chemical castration jurisdictions to condition probation on the convict accepting chemical castration" (Meisenkothen 141). This widespread injection of the chemical castration treatment into the criminal justice system before the effectiveness and weaknesses of the treatment are fully understood is a mistake."
