Louisiana Gov. Jindal Authorizes Chemical Castration Of Sex Offenders

Rising Republican star Bobby Jindal signed legislation allowing judges to force convicted rapists to undergo chemical castration, the Louisiana Advocate reports:

"I am glad we have taken such strong measures in Louisiana to put a stop to these monsters' brutal acts," the governor said in a prepared statement.

Jindal signed Senate Bill 144 into law on the day that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Louisiana cannot execute people who rape children under the age of 12.

The governor blasted the high court's decision.

"I am especially glad to sign (SB144) into Louisiana law ... on the same day the Supreme Court has made an atrocious ruling against our state's ability to sentence those who sexually assault our children to the fullest extent," he said.

Jindal, the country's youngest governor and the first with Indian roots, is often cited as a potential Vice Presidental nominee for McCain. He has spoken out in defense of intelligent design and written about his participation in an exorcism.

Comments

[maxwellinformed]

If you do that to a man you would just drive him more mad and insane. I think Jingle has issues.

[paganmist]

Why the hell should I care about how punishment affects a criminal rapist whose actions have made one or more children "more mad and insane"?

[ebanks84]

Because it just might be your son. That's why.

[CC1]

You shouldn't.

[UncleHomer]

Because in at least one case so far where the rapist under went voluntary castration he advanced from rape to murder.

[kdogg]

the greatest measure of a society is the way that it treats its criminals. i'm sure i butchered that but it rings true never the less. being cruel to criminals, no matter how terrible their crime, is a direct reflection of our own cruelty.

[obamajusrocks]

rapists should be physically castrated - this chemical business does not do enough

[Deeg]

Should we return to using the guillotine too?

[Raymondf]

Yes!!

[PAposter]

yeah, Deeg, to cut of their f*cking d*cks!

[politisophical]

As tempting and satisfying as that punishment sounds.. i dont think i could support it.....

[PAposter]

So, support child rapists instead.

[ebanks84]

There are other alternatives, you know.

[MissKaren]

That's just doggy doo stupid.

Child rapists do not rape children for sex. They rape them for hatred, for power, for a dozen reasons. Not being able to commit rape just makes them crazier. It also leaves dangerous people out in the community with inadequate supervision.

Child rapists (and other rapists) should be languishing in prison and not out in the community. Chemical castration only works with selected offenders who voluntarily submit to it, keep their counseling appointments, stay away from potential vicitms and are willing to cooperate with intensive parole supervision. ONLY those offenders who are willing to go with that full regimen can be trusted. There are not enough parole officers in the world to supervise involuntarily castrated inmates. They need to be hospitalilzed after prison and kept under lock and key or at least on hospital grounds.

[Felicty]

You know the good part about all those executions in Texas?

Fewer Texans. ~ George Carlin.

[Raymondf]

Only thing is about 40% of the executions are not Texans.

[EyeWantOneNation]

GWB loves you !!!!

[ibsteve2u]

lolll...

Ahhh, Carlin - to paraphrase Republican Senator John Cornyn's campaign song: "He made less states squirm...big bad George...".

[highlyamused]

hahahaha god I love Carlin. He nailed it every time.

[bosshogg]

ummmm being from louisiana(don't hold it against me) jindel is a little weird but some people really like him, but i doubt he will be picked for vp.. 1 of many reasons but jindel is good friends with vitter but the main reason politics down here are so different than what the masses are use to.................

[jimmy2001]

"jindel is a little weird" yeah i notice seems like a budding "nut case" to me.

[ddharder]

The level of censorship that takes place on these forums is utterly unacceptable. Mods might try reading their own guidelines and then try abiding by them.

[SwingingFromCenter]

There's the "hidden rule".

You have to post something that the mod agrees with. No conflicting opinions allowed :P.

[x1soundgarden1x]

I think a lot of people on here are equating child rape with adult rape and I think that is arguable at best. The reasons someone rapes an adult are not the same as being a pedophile, "Pedophilia,
especially the exclusive type, may be best thought of as its own category of sexual orientation, not something that is superimposed on an existing heterosexual or homosexual identity." (Mayo Clinic-- A profile of Pedophilia)

And while it might be true that for some people it's about power, that doesn't mean you can just universally throw out the possibility that some people are raped purely or mostly for the sexual desire of some drunk college kid or other horny person.

The point is this, chemical treatment, not only can improve a pedophiles response to psychotherapy, but when in combination with it, "the best outcomes in preventing repeat offenses against children occur when pharmacological agents and psychotherapy are used together." (Mayo Clinic). This doesn't even include the benefit of chemical castration being it's requirement for repeat check-ups and psychological monitoring.

So before everyone blows up about this being barbaric and invasive, maybe we can take a step back and try and understand that this might be the best and fairest way to deal with the pedophilia problem that doesn't involve execution or life imprisonment for one sexual mistake. For those of you saying therapy is the answer, how do you respond now knowing that chemical treatment can improve therapeutic responsiveness?

[paganmist]

I think the response will probably be the same. I have been a lifelong Democrat and liberal, but I have never understood this sick fascination with pampering people who commit crimes. It seems to be coming from people who have never been on the wrong end of a rape/molestation/murdered loved one.

[ebanks84]

I know you're right.

[ebanks84]

I think the best way to deal with pedophilia is to research that area of the brain that locates the sensory perception of arousement for a child and work on redirecting the brain to not respond to the perception. Now whether that's possible or not, I don't know. But it certainly makes sense to go TO THE PROBLEM instead of aggravating the problem with things that won't SOLVE the problem.

[ofbbg]

Even if your suggestion were feasible or even remotely possible, what do we do in the mean time? Apparently, pedophiles can't be cured - not by psychotherapy, not by drugs (they can simply not take them), not by societal pressure, not by behavior modification - nothing. And with amoral looney-tunes like the ACLU running around "protecting their rights" without adequately grasping the rights of the victim, they all too often seem to serve less than life sentences, and are free once again to rape, and perhaps kill, other children. Until they can be completely cured, two things must happen: 1. Child rape should mean dying in prison - no early release, no parole, commutation of sentence. 2. Should anyone be able to get a pedophile released due to legal action, they should be held personally responsible for any repeat offense - both legally and civilly.

[MissKaren]

That assumes wiliingness. How can you assume wilingness in involuntarily castrated men?

[Felicty]

If they start castrating sexual offenders, we may finally see an end to the Republican Party.

[Donnat]

LOL! Not to mention Catholicism. Snarking aside, I don't think this is a bad idea, really as pedophilia is not curable.

[MissT]

Jendal is on to something here. I hope it's implemented by all the states.

[ebanks84]

And then we'll have a country FULL of insatiable sex perverts running around doing God knows what trying to get some relief for something that they can't. Geez. I say send them all to the moon first. Don't leave those raving maniacs loose to prey on the rest of us.

[RegularFolk]

And the Clintons

[ebanks84]

Seems to me like we might need to see the end of some democrats also.

[Felicty]

I agree. Right after we burn down all the churches.

[ddharder]

Somehow this is entirely less offensive to me than the breach of trust on the FISA bill. Cruel and unusual is certainly debatable. Illegal search and seizure is pretty straight forward.

[plainsman]

Seconded.

[PatA]

I work in a prison and the male offenders tell me that chemical castration would render one helpless physically, but do nothing for the abuser emotionally. The urge to control and hurt is still present and now the guy is really p***ed because of the "treatment.
The men that I work with do not believe that rehab will work for the sexual offenders. They say , "keep them locked up" in work programs that benefit victims.

[paganmist]

Okay, well guess what? I don't think the legal system should "cater" to wrong-doers.

"Well, he just did something bad, but if we punish him, then he'll be REALLY angry."

So WHAT? Why do I care about this guy's personal feelings? Because he might do something else wrong? I'm angry LOTS of times, but that's no justification for going out and raping kids. And when my kid is angry at some punishment I've given her for doing something wrong, I sure as hell don't say, "Well, this punishment made her angry, so let me think of something else...."

OF COURSE punishment is going to make wrong-doers angry. Especially those who are unapologetically wrong-doing, they don't think they should be punished at all! They'll be angry for being locked up in the first place! By locking them up, the police kept them from doing what they wanted to do. These people will find ANYONE to be angry at, including the victim who "dared" to testify and have them put away!

That shouldn't even be a consideration. If the government decides to release this creep, and he CHOOSES (note: CHOOSES) to do something else wrong, the excuse "I was angry because of my LAST punishment" is nowhere near a good reason.

[ebanks84]

And I know you're right also from going through the experience myself. God bless you and do all you can to keep your child safe. I don't know how old she is but I would suggest some early self-defense training might be your best bet. If she can withold an attack any way she can, it might save her life. Think about it.

[ebanks84]

I know what you're saying is correct because the purpose of his perversion has not been treated so all you do is make him more of a threat in other ways. If we don't treat the perversion itself, we might as well keep the perverters in jail for life. There is no rehabilitation for sexual perversion. That portion of the brain that is stimulated to cause the perversion should be treated. That's the only way, I believe.

[paganmist]

"There is no rehabilitation for sexual perversion. That portion of the brain that is stimulated to cause the perversion should be treated."

Do you even realize how idiotic this statement is?

No offense, but you just contradicted yourself. What do you think rehabilitation IS? It's trying to treat these people. It's giving them therapy. It's trying to condition them to do the right thing.

But apparently you've never been in therapy. No one can MAKE you benefit from therapy, it involves your own willingness to change and work with a professional. If these men do not want to change, then no therapy IN THE WORLD will change them, except one that involves chemicals.

[afrographia]

Great! Like McCain's nonsense gas tax holiday, maybe this will provide a "psychological lift" for those of us who are (justifiably) enraged about child molesters. It won't actually prevent sexual assault, but we'll feel better. Meanwhile, in the real world...

[Deeg]

Welcome aboard the McNovelty train!

[AlexVonHussein]

Soon they will start castrating all those vets, homeless, the poor , inbreds, disabled, drug addicts, and some minorities I wont mention. Hitler was for the same. Castrate all those under races. and Finally America will be pure according to Jindal and co.

[paganmist]

Okay, I don't know if I agree with this castration thing

But could we please not compare the plight of RAPISTS to that of underprivileged minorities?

[Deeg]

He's not comparing them, he's just making the point that's it's a slippery slope.

[ebanks84]

That's a terrible point but it's true. Government has a tendency to go overboard on things such as this and I believe you're correct.

[JeanPaulSatire]

But there is a big difference between the approach for which Jindal is advocating and the approach taken by the Hitler, et al.: chemical castration is reversible, surgical castration is not. Given the CERTAINTY that there will be some who are wrongfully convicted, it's better to choose the reversible approach.

[JenJanea]

That jump from a fine of "not more to $5000" to mandatory chemical or physical castration at a second offense is a mighty big one. Think twice before you molest in Louisiana.

[cobobs]

Men who rape children may be offered two barbaric choices:

a) Surgical Removal of genitalia

b) Death

[aristippe]

There is nothing barbaric about death.

[ebanks84]

God should be the one to take a life since he breathes life into all humans.

[ofbbg]

IMAO, death is far less barbaric than incarceration.

[Vinca]

To cobobs: I completely agree with you, Even if you are retareded or if you are a minor, You should at least be castrated, You are a dangerous person, GIVE THEM THIER CHOICE DEATH OR CASTRATION

[MissKaren]

The rape of a child does not start in the balls. It starts in the brain. Are you advocating removal of the brain?

[southafrica4obama]

He should set an example. His balls first.

[mediamarv]

My thoughts exactly. The old "firm father" meme shows it head again as the evil streak that controls conservatives.