MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — Governor Kay Ivey has signed a bill allowing for chemical castrations on male sex offenders into law Monday.
The bill, HB379, would require certain sex offenders, whose crimes involved children younger than 13 years of age, to receive the medication as a part of their parole.
HB 379 was introduced by State Representative Steve Hurst, R-Calhoun County.
He said the bill will be for sex offenders over the age of 21 that committed sex offenses against children. “They have marked this child for life and the punishment should fit the crime,” said Hurst.
This is not Hurst’s first time introducing the bill.
“I had people call me in the past when I introduced it and said don’t you think this is inhumane? I asked them what’s more inhumane than when you take a little infant child, and you sexually molest that infant child when the child cannot defend themselves or get away, and they have to go through all the things they have to go through. If you want to talk about inhumane–that’s inhumane,” said Hurst.
Hurst is hoping this would make sex offenders think twice.
“If we do something of this nature it would deter something like this happening again in Alabama and maybe reduce the numbers,” said Hurst.
Attorney Raymond Johnson says, “They’re going to challenge it under the 8th Amendment Constitution. They’re going to claim that it is cruel and unusual punishment for someone who has served their time and for the rest of their life have to be castrated.”
Johnson says child molestation is a serious offense and already has serious consequences such as time served in prison followed with probation or parole.
