In a controversial move among its “get tough on crime” measures advanced in the February special legislative session, Louisiana became the first state to permit surgical castration as a punishment for sex crimes under a new law signed by Republican Governor Jeff Landry on June 11, 2024. The new law took effect on August 1 of this year. SB 371 authorizes judges to order surgical castration for individuals convicted of certain sex crimes against children. Surgical castration, which involves the removal of the testicles or ovaries to halt sex hormone production, is a rare and extreme measure. This type of permanent and mutilative castration is only practiced in a few places globally, such as the Czech Republic, Madagascar, and a state in Nigeria. These laws have faced sharp criticism from human rights organizations like Amnesty International.
