A bill that will require the chemical castration of some sex offenders in Alabama as a stipulation for parole has been signed by the state's governor.
Gov. Kay Ivey signed the legislation on Monday after it was approved by the state's legislature on May 31.
In the process of chemical castration, a person is given an injection or pills to significantly reduce libido.
The bill affects criminals who commit sex crimes against children age 13 and younger, requiring they undergo the process before they are released from prison. It will be a mandatory parole requirement.
Randall Marshall of the ACLU told AL.com that he believes the law could violate the US Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishments.
“It’s not clear that this actually has any effect and whether it’s even medically proven,” Marshall told Al.com. “When the state starts experimenting on people, I think it runs afoul of the Constitution.”