UPDATE: Alabama Signs Castration Bill for Child Sex Offenders into Law
Peter D'Abrosca
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Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s office said Monday that she has signed into law legislation that requires child sex offenders to be chemically castrated before as a condition of their parole.
According to CBS42, the law will go into effect for crimes committed against children after Sept. 1, 2019. It applies to adults who commit sex crimes against children under the age of 13.
Big League Politics reported on the bill, which passed through both chambers of Alabama’s Congress last week:
Alabama lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday that would require convicted child molesters to be chemically castrated prior to being released from prison.
“If Gov. Kay Ivey signs the bill, it would require offenders aged 21 and older to be chemically castrated before leaving prison,” according to WHNT. “The bill, known as HB 379, was introduced by Republican State Rep. Steve Hurst of Calhoun County, which is in the northeast part of the state.”
“They have marked this child for life and the punishment should fit the crime.” Hurst reportedly said.
But he also hopes the bill will deter would-be child sex offenders.
“If we do something of this nature it would deter something like this happening again in Alabama and maybe reduce the numbers,” he said.
One Alabama attorney said the law – if signed – will likely be challenged in court.
“There [sic] going to challenge it under the 8th Amendment Constitution,” Raymond Johnson reportedly said. “There [sic] going to claim that it is cruel and unusual punishment for someone who has served there time and for the rest of there life have to be castrated.”
Alabama also recently passed the most strict pro-life law in the country, banning all abortions. That law was passed as part of a seemingly-coordinated effort between six states, including Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri, and Louisiana, to challenge the Supreme Court’s controversial Roe v. Wade decision, which essentially legalizes abortion.
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