Overview

• The UK government will expand its voluntary chemical castration program for sex offenders to 20 prisons, building on a smaller pilot in south-west England.
• Justice Secretary Mahmood is considering making chemical castration mandatory for the most serious offenders, though ethical concerns have been raised by medical experts.
• Research cited by the government suggests chemical suppression can reduce reoffending rates by up to 60%, though its effectiveness varies by offender type.
• The initiative is part of broader sentencing reforms, including scrapping most short sentences, introducing an earned progression model for early release, and increasing probation funding by £700 million.
• The measures aim to address near-record prison overcrowding, with the prison population at 88,103 and reforms projected to free up 9,800 spaces by 2028.