OKLAHOMA — A senator from Oklahoma is reportedly working on a bill to legalize chemical castration of violent sex offenders.
Senate Bill 671, being promoted by Sen. Mark Allen, would allow violent sex offender to be released from prison early if they volunteer to be chemically castrated.
Allen told CNN affiliate KOCO that he thinks the bill could help resolve the issue of overcrowding in Oklahoma prisons.
"They're in there for a reason, and this is going to take the biggest part of the reason away why they're in jail," Allen told KOCO.
Allen told KWTV that he has studied the process in other states.
"The inmate has to go through counseling before going through the process," Allen told KWTV. "I think they've had about a 90 percent success rate. If somebody wants an early release from prison, they can go through the process."
Chemical castration is a process in which a person is either injected with a medication or takes a tablet that reduces testosterone, decreases sexual interest and makes it impossible for that individual to perform sexual acts.
The bill has a long way to go, but if passed, it could go into effect in November.
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