Alabama lawmaker pushing surgical castration for certain sex offenders

FORT PAYNE, Alabama(WDEF) – Residents are giving mixed reactions to a proposal aimed at severely punishing sex offenders who harm children.

If State Representative Steve Hurst gets his way, people convicted of certain sexual assaults on children in Alabama could lose a lot more than their freedom.

Hurst has introduced proposed House Bill 365 which would require certain sex offenders to undergo mandatory surgical castration.

According to Alabama House Bill 365, any person over the age of 21 who is convicted and sentenced to prison for committing certain sex crimes against a child under the age of 12, would be required to undergo surgical castration. The law would require the medical procedure to be done before an offender is released from prison. The law would also require the offender to pay for the surgery.

State Representative Hurst is endorsing the bill despite critics who say the idea is inhumane.

“I know I have people that say that this is inhumane, Hurst said. “The way I look at this is, what is inhumane is to molest a child, especially an infant. That’s inhumane.” Hurst said in an interview with CBS affiliate WIAT.

News 12 spoke to several people outside the Dekalb County Alabama Courthouse in Fort Payne about the proposal. Reaction was mixed.

“It’s just not going to stop them from doing the sick stuff that’s in their head. That’s in their mind. Unless they are taking their brain out, it’s not going to stop them from doing the stuff they’re in there for,” said Chris Sanders.

“Castrating doesn’t seem like it would work or take what ever in their mind or whatever they are thinking. They still have hands and they still have everything to work with so I disagree that this should have that,” said Ashley Holcomb.

“I don’t think it’s too harsh. They have to learn a lesson one way or another. They can’t just go and ruin somebody’s life because their life was ruined,” said Reena Johnson.

Eight other states in the U.S. including neighboring Georgia requires chemical castration as punishment for certain sex crimes. Chemical castration is reversible. California, Florida and Louisiana give offenders the option to chose surgical castration. Surgical castration is permanent. If HB365 passes, Alabama would be the only state that requires surgical castration for certain child sex crimes.