A step in the right direction

Castration in exchange for a shorter prison sentence for rapists? I think yes!

Of course, it's never as simple as "cut the penis, cure the rapist", but it is a step in the right direction. Not because the justice system is cutting off people's penises, but because courts are finally becoming more serious about alternative punishments for violent or repeat offenders.

I compare this to a judge finding a man guilty of beating his wife but assigning him to anger management classes. He doesn't need to manage his anger because he already knows how. When was the last time you saw someone beating their wife in public? Exactly. Alternative punishments for rapists and batterers such as therapy or other less archaic solutions can often times help prevent the problem before it happens again, rather than locking up someone and throwing away the key - only to release them 25 years later into a world they no longer know how to function in. Don't get me wrong, I'm in favor of some offenders going to prison, but I am an advocate for alternative punishments and solutions for criminals.

And remember! It's important to consider alternative punishments (sometimes in addition to jail time) so that obviously guilty people do not walk away free simply because they couldn't possibly beat another woman with an iron.