Alabama governor signs law requiring some sex offenders to undergo chemical castration

The Alabama State Capitol.
(Image credit: Julie Bennett/Getty Images)

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed into law on Monday a bill requiring that individuals convicted of a sex offense against a child 13 or under start chemical castration.

"This bill is a step toward protecting children in Alabama," Ivey said. The chemical castration has to begin a month before the person is scheduled for release, CNN reports, and will continue until a court decides treatment can stop.

During chemical castration, a person either takes pills or is injected with medication that reduces, inhibits, or blocks the production of testosterone. There is no guarantee that it will completely diminish a person's sexual urges, and does not result in sterilization. Once a person stops taking the drugs, the effects can be reversed.

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Under the law, individuals must pay for their treatment. If they decide to stop taking the medication, they will be considered in violation of their parole and arrested.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.