Sex offenders in the North West and North East of England in UK will be included in a government pilot using chemical suppressants to reduce reoffending, Justice Secretary David Lammy has announced.
The scheme, already running in four prisons in the South West, will now expand to cover up to 20 prisons across the country.
Around 6,400 offenders could gain access to the medication, which reduces problematic sexual arousal, alongside psychological treatment.
Lammy told MPs during the second reading of the Sentencing Bill that the initial trial had produced positive results.
“While the evidence base is limited, it is positive and for that reason we will roll the approach out nationwide, starting with two new regions,” he said.
The pilot forms part of the government’s broader sentencing reforms aimed at easing prison overcrowding and cutting reoffending.
Former justice secretary David Gauke’s independent review had recommended exploring chemical suppressants as one tool to manage sexual offending, though it stressed the treatment would not apply to all offenders, such as those motivated by power rather than sexual compulsion.
Lammy said: “Evidence shows this medication helps suppress urges, which is why we’re expanding access to it. Alongside prison, we have a duty to use every method available to rehabilitate offenders and protect the public.”
The House of Commons backed the Sentencing Bill by 340 votes to 77. A Conservative amendment opposing the legislation on grounds it would put dangerous criminals on our streets was rejected.
The use of chemical suppressants will remain voluntary under the pilot, despite previous suggestions by former justice secretary Shabana Mahmood that the treatment could eventually be made mandatory.
