Discussions are under way in England and Wales over a plan to use special medication to reduce uncontrolled sexual urges among prisoners. In medical terms, this is referred to as treatment for compulsive or deviant sexual desire.
According to experts, some prisoners experience persistent, distorted sexual thoughts that disrupt their ability to lead a normal life. Two main types of medication are currently used in the UK to address this: antidepressants, which reduce excessive sexual urges, and hormone-suppressing drugs, which lower testosterone levels in the body.
According to Professor Belinda Winder, a prominent forensic psychologist, this treatment helps many offenders regain normal focus and mental stability. However, she said, it is not effective for those who offend under the influence of anger, resentment or drugs.
Different versions of this kind of treatment system exist internationally. In Denmark and France, prisoners can only undergo this treatment voluntarily, of their own will. In Germany too, men with paraphilic tendencies are offered support through confidential treatment.
In Poland, Kazakhstan, South Korea, and US states such as California and Florida, by contrast, there are legally mandated rules requiring chemical treatment for certain offenders. In Australia as well, courts have the power to impose such therapy as a condition of an offender’s release on bail.
UK authorities are also considering whether, as in California, this medication could be introduced as a condition of parole. However, this branch of medical treatment is not new, and its history is fairly complicated.
In the 1950s, the UK forced gay men to undergo this therapy in exchange for avoiding prison time — a practice that was inflicted on the renowned scientist Alan Turing. He later took his own life after being subjected to this treatment.
In addition, these hormone-suppressing medications carry quite severe side effects. They can cause extreme fatigue, mood changes, weight gain, muscle loss, and long-term problems such as reduced bone density.
Doctors believe this medication only reduces physical urges, but does not fully change the mindset that leads to offending. As a result, international debate and ethical questions remain over whether someone should be granted bail solely on the condition of taking such medication.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report