Alabama governor signs chemical castration bill into law

Author: CBS
Published: Updated:
Prison cell. (Credit: CBS News)

Alabama sex offenders whose crime involve children younger than 13 will now have to undergo chemical castration to be eligible for parole.

Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill into law Monday.

Chemical castration involves taking medication that blocks testosterone production in order to decrease the person’s sex drive. At least eight states allow the procedure — including California, Florida and Texas— but it is unclear how often it is used.

Some legal groups have questioned the legality of forced medication.

“We certainly think that it raises constitutional concerns,” Randall Marshall, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, wrote in an email.

The bill would require parolees to pay for the medication themselves, although fees could be waived for those who couldn’t afford it.

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