How Should Sexual Offenders Be Punished?

Yesterday, a rapist in Florida voluntarily underwent surgical castration to avoid a sentence of life in prison, reports ABC News. Bobby James Allen, 35, received 25 years in prison with 10 years probation, and requested castration in exchange for the reduced sentence.

In 1999, Allen was known as the "ninja rapist" because he wore a black mask when he raped or attempted to rape as many as 7 women at knifepoint. Surgical castration, or orchiectomy, as it is called, is a day-surgery procedure done under local anesthesia. Each testicle is removed through a small scrotal incision similar to the kind made during a vasectomy. Allen can expect hormonal changes that could lead to the breast development, osteoporosis and hot flashes.

Six states have experimented with chemical castration laws in the US., which involves the criminal being injected with hormonal compound Depo-Provera (which some of you may be familiar with). But surgical castration is rarely used (and, as far as we know, irreversible). But we're wondering: did the punishment fit the crime? Take our poll after the jump.

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Fla. Rapist Castrated In Plea Deal [ABC News]

Send an email to Dodai, the author of this post, at dodai@jezebel.com.

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