Medication in men who have committed sex offences

The independent sentencing review, led by former lord chancellor David Gauke, recommended extending a pilot programme in which prisoners convicted of a sex offence are prescribed libido lowering medication1 In response, the secretary of state for justice, Shabana Mahmood, indicated she was considering making “chemical suppression”—that is, using medication to reduce testosterone to prepubertal levels—mandatory in some cases.2 Although “some cases” was not defined, it presumably refers to the most high risk or dangerous individuals.The Southwest pilot programme is a recent addition to the medical management of problematic sexual arousal (MMPSA) service, funded by NHS England but provided in the criminal justice system.3 The service has been delivered in prisons since 2015, but continuation of medication after prisoners are released can be problematic, and the pilot, carried out in southwest England, is intended to address this.The service is designed to treat a health indication (problematic sexual arousal) rather than reoffending…