JAIL FURY
Paedos WANT to be castrated to banish sick ‘desires’, reform tsar says – as crackdown rolled out in 20 UK jails
It comes in the wake of new proposals to tackle overcrowding
A TRIAL using chemical castration on sex offenders will cover 20 prisons - and a reform tsar claimed some paedos want the measure.
The Government is exploring whether this will be made mandatory.
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The Secretary of State for Justice told the Commons today that community punishment must be "tougher".
Speaking about chemical castration, she said: "A rollout will cover 20 prisons and I'm exploring whether mandating this is possible."
It comes after David Gauke today delivered a sentencing review which included recommendations on how to tackle the prison overcrowding crisis.
The former conservative justice secretary told some paedos are "desperate to rid themselves of these desires".
Gauke told LBC's Nick Ferrari: "It is a voluntary arrangement, it is focused on some sexual offenders. For some, who have sexual desires that they actively want to suppress [paedophiles] for example."
Recommendations by the Independent Sentencing Review to continue a small voluntary pilot in the South West have been rejected as too soft.
Instead it will be expanded to 20 prisons in England and Wales ahead of a planned roll-out nationwide.
Allies highlighted how US states such as California have castration as a mandatory condition for jailed sex offenders freed on parole.
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And while ministers would start with jailed offenders, insiders say they will explore broadening the scheme to those given suspended sentences.
It marks a victory for The Sun’s Keep Our Kids Safe campaign to protect children against paedos.
Chemical castration uses two drugs — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors to limit invasive sexual thoughts, and anti-androgens to reduce testosterone and limit libido.
Offenders are often given psychiatric sessions to reduce other impulses.
The plan is part of wider efforts to cut reoffending to ease the strain on packed prisons.
Inmates are already being released early to stop jails running out of space by November.
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'Prisons a breeding ground for crime'
Speaking to the Commons today, Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood said she knows the recommendations to tackle the crisis "will not be welcomed by all".
She said: "Our prisons are once again running out of space.
"If our prisons collapse, courts are forced to suspend trials, the police must halt their arrests, crimes go unpunished and criminals run amok as chaos reigns.
"We face the breakdown of law and order in this country. It is shameful that in this day and age we are confronted by this crisis once more."
She said the prison population is rising by 3,000 each year.
"We are heading back towards zero capacity," she added.
"We cannot build our way out of this crisis. This country must never run out of prison places again - there must always be spaces for dangerous offenders.
"Our prisons too often create better criminals, not better citizens. They are breeding grounds for crime."
A prisoner’s release date will now be more dependent on their behaviour.
They will only spend least one-third of their sentence behind bars and have to earn their release at this point or face longer.
Mahmood also proposed bans on travel, driving, social media and football to "hit offenders where it hurts".
Foreign criminals will be deported after serving 30 per cent of their sentences - leaving them free to walk the streets of their home countries.
Judges will also be required to declare at sentencing if a crime is a domestic abuse offence.
This is intended to bring in extra protection for victims and make sure the right measures are in place and manage any risks.
Early release of domestic abusers could have 'fatal consequences'
During the last spate of early releases, the government received a massive backlash from survivors of sex offences and domestic abuse crimes who felt they were being overlooked.
Many said they weren't warned if their attacker was going to be released.
And charities have hit out at the government for ignoring their concerns yet again.
Ellie Butt, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the charity Refuge, told The Sun: “Refuge has consistently raised concerns about the serious safety risks posed to survivors of domestic abuse as a result of prison early release schemes.
“Domestic abuse is a pattern of coercion and control that is often perpetrated over many years.
"While perpetrators may be released with licence conditions, including avoiding contact with survivors, they frequently breach conditions to continue their campaign of abuse."
This is why Refuge is calling on these offenders to be exempt from early release.
She added: “Even though released offenders will be monitored by the Probation Service, we have strong concerns about the probation service’s ability to adequately monitor domestic abuse perpetrators.
"When probation officers miss opportunities to correctly assess and manage the risk of harm posed to survivors, this can have devastating, and sometimes fatal consequences.
“Refuge reiterates our call for all perpetrators of domestic abuse and VAWG related offences to be exempt from early release schemes and other prison overcrowding measures due to the high risk of harm they pose to survivors of domestic abuse."
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Nahar Coudhury, chief executive of Solace, added: “We are concerned for the proposals to release serious sexual and violent offenders, including domestic abuse, at either halfway or by two-thirds of their sentence.
"Consideration must be given to the impact this has on victims, and the community. The need to tackle overcrowding cannot be at the expense of safety."
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What changes were announced?
By Emily Jane Davies
The review published today by former Justice Secretary David Gauke recommended comprehensively overhauling sentencing.
This is to ensure jails never run out of space again and dangerous offenders can be kept off the streets.
The majority of the recommendations have been accepted today in principle – with a Sentencing Bill due in the coming months.
The government confirmed plans last week to invest £4.7 billion more in prison building, putting the government on track to open 14,000 places by 2031.
It will be the largest prison expansion since the Victorian era, and 2,400 places have already been opened since July 2024.
The latest projections show the country’s jails will be bust within months and 9,500 places short by early 2028 without further action.
One key change will be a new “earned progression model” that will see prisoners earn their way to release through good behaviour or face longer in jail. There will be no automatic release for prisoners who misbehave.
A prisoner’s release date will now be more dependent on their behaviour.
All offenders on standard determinate sentences will spend at least one-third of their sentence behind bars and have to earn their release at this point or face longer behind bars for bad behaviour
The government rejected the review’s recommendation to cut the minimum prison term for extended determinate sentences to 50 per cent.
The serious violent and sexual offenders serving these sentences will have to serve at least two-thirds of their sentence and their release will continue to be down to the Parole Board.
When released, offenders will enter a new period of “intensive supervision” which will see tens of thousands more offenders tagged and many more placed under home detention.
Foreign criminals will be deported after serving 30 per cent of their sentences - leaving them free to walk the streets of their home countries.
Judges will also be required to declare at sentencing if a crime is a domestic abuse offence.
This is intended to bring in extra protection for victims and make sure the right measures are in place and manage any risks.
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