Overview

• The British government is launching a pilot program in 20 prisons to use medication-based libido suppression, commonly referred to as chemical castration, for convicted sex offenders.
• Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood is considering whether participation in the program could be made compulsory, pending feasibility studies.
• The initiative will integrate psychological interventions targeting underlying motives for offenses, such as power and control, alongside the medication regimen.
• The program is part of broader efforts to address prison overcrowding, which has led to early releases of thousands of inmates in England.
• International precedents for chemical castration include voluntary use in Germany and mandatory application in Pakistan, with human-rights concerns raised in the latter case.