Louisiana may be the first to allow judges to order castrations as part of sentencing serious sexual offenders. Louisiana’s state legislature has passed a bill, which is now awaiting the signature of Gov. Jeff Landry to sign the bill. Judges can choose to punish either women or men who have committed an aggravated sexual crime against a minor.
Although chemical castration was considered in the past, it was rarely used to determine a sentence. Surgical castration, on the other hand, is more invasive and permanent.
This decision has sparked a debate about whether the government should be able to have such power over someone’s body, including a convicted sexual offender. What rights do criminals enjoy? What rights should convicted criminals have?
Criminal offenses are a slippery slope. All punishments restrict the rights of those who are convicted in some way. This is the basic premise of our prison system. A person’s right to live in society and act as normal is taken away due to the harm that they have done. Just like the death penalty topic, the question is when does it get too far?
The bill and other bills involving chemical castration have been met with opposition. Opponents claim that it is “cruel punishment” and question the effectiveness of the procedure. Some Louisiana legislators have also questioned whether the punishment is too harsh, especially for those who have committed only a single crime.
In deciding on punishment, two factors should be taken into consideration: the appropriate response to the offense and the best way to prevent it from happening again by the same person or anyone else. The appropriate disciplinary response establishes the standard for the community and sends out a clear message. The victim and their family also receive some justice.
Thirdly, there is an important factor to consider. How can we ensure that the offender won’t repeat the crime if they are released into society? With something so horrendous like the sexual abuse of children, it’s best to not take any chances.
Barrow replied, “For me, thinking about a child just once is enough.”
This bill may be needed to protect future children, as there are currently 2,224 people serving prison time in Lousiana due to sexual crimes against children younger than 13 years old.
We’ve seen the lawlessness in our country that resulted from a lack of a strong response to disciplinary issues. We cannot even stop bratty college kids from destroying property or calling for open violence. The “soft parenting” of the Left has led to this.
Maybe it’s time for a more firm hand when dealing with offenders. We must stop empathizing with offenders more than with victims if we want to truly protect the most vulnerable citizens in our country and the values which make us what we are. It may be a bit too much, but it is better to go too far in the direction of justice rather than lawlessness.
