Bill > HB1028

This bill amends Mississippi's statutory rape law to authorize surgical castration as an optional additional penalty for individuals convicted of sexually abusing children under the age of thirteen, effective August 1, 2025. The new provisions specify that upon conviction, a court may sentence the offender to surgical castration, which would be performed by a licensed physician through the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The castration would only be implemented after a court-appointed medical expert determines the defendant is an appropriate surgical candidate, and the procedure would typically be conducted within one week of the offender's release from incarceration. If a defendant fails to comply with the court-ordered procedure, they could face an additional criminal charge resulting in a mandatory prison sentence of 3-5 years without the possibility of probation, parole, or sentence suspension. The bill includes a critical caveat that surgical castration is not mandatory if it is not medically appropriate for the individual. This legislation represents a significant and controversial approach to addressing sexual crimes against young children, introducing a physical punishment mechanism beyond traditional criminal sentencing methods.

Justice

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2025/pdf/history/HB/HB1028.xml