Louisiana close to letting judges sentence “sex offenders” to surgical castration
The unthinkable could be soon happening in Louisiana: Judges being allowed to sentence people who commit certain sex offenses to forced surgical castration. This would also include women.
Senate Bill 371 by Senator Regina Barrow was approved in the House of Representatives in a 74-24 vote. It needs only the senators’ concurrence in the House floor amendments before it is sent to Governor Jeff Landry for consideration.
Senator Barrow introduced this bill because of only one person who sexually re-offended. Yes, his crimes were heinous, and he deserves to go to prison for a long time, if not for life, but why should Barrow’s desire for revenge spill over into other cases where released inmates will never sexually re-offend?
With research showing that most people with a past sex offense never sexually re-offend after serving out their sentence, why would a civilized nation choose to physically castrate people who will never commit another sex offense?
According to Barrow this bill was in response to the state’s abortion ban. As a registrant, maybe I’m biased, but this bill wouldn’t prevent a pregnancy that is the result of a sexual assault. So I don’t see how this fixes or addresses anything. But then perhaps I am preaching to the choir.
The Louisiana vasectomy bill was introduced because of the abortion bill that was passed there. The sponsor said that if women cannot have an abortion after being raped then she wants to see certain PFR’s have vasectomies so that they cannot have a second chance at impregnating a woman. Just sharing her logic with you.
Which I fail to see her logic, as we know that her proposal doesn’t prevent rape pregnancy from happening . A judicial decision sounds arbitrary and I don’t know how it bypasses Skinner v. Oklahoma.
Boyd is simply seeking “revenge” for the abortion bill that passed.
Exactly.
It appears the defendant can refuse the castration, but be punished with additional prison time for the refusal. Given that SO registration represents a virtual lifetime in prison anyway, I think I might refuse the castration.
Greetings from Louisiana.
To be clear there are two bills in the Louisiana legislature.
Boyds bill was written after the Louisiana ban on abortion.
Barrows bill is as a punishment.
Louisiana’s House Representative Delisha Boyd is the sponsor of HB 166 which states: “In addition to any other penalties provided by law, any person who is convicted of a sex offense as defined in R.S. 15:541 may be subject to a vasectomy procedure.”
Louisiana’s Senator Regina Barrow is the sponsor of SB 371 which would allow for convicted sex offenders (male and female) who have committed an aggravated sexual offense against a victim under 13 years old to be surgically castrated by the state.
Boyd is the sponsor of HB 166, the vasectomy bill. She is the co-sponsor, though for Barrow’s SB 371, forced castration bill.
https://www.ktbs.com/news/surgical-castration-for-sex-offenders-could-become-law-in-louisiana/article_c9a53790-1a22-11ef-9bcf-37e909e38727.html