UK Plans Chemical Castration For Serious Sex Offenders To Reduce Prison Population

An independent sentencing review led by former justice secretary David Gauke has proposed major reforms to address overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales, aiming to reduce the prison population by around 9,800. Key recommendations include scrapping short sentences under 12 months except in exceptional cases, introducing a progression model that allows well-behaved offenders to serve only a third of their sentence in custody before release, and giving judges more flexibility to impose alternative punishments. The review also advocates expanding the voluntary use of chemical castration to suppress the sexual drive of sex offenders, currently piloted in southwest England, with plans to roll it out to 20 prisons nationwide. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is considering making chemical castration mandatory for the most serious sex offenders, such as paedophiles and rapists, a move that would require significant legal and medical changes. The reforms aim to free up prison space for the most dangerous criminals while reducing reoffending and protecting victims, amidst warnings about the dangerous conditions caused by overcrowded prisons. These proposals include exploring evidence-based treatments to manage sex offenders both in custody and in the community and enhancing supervision for offenders released early under the new progression model.