Someone pointed out (perhaps it was a few people) that chemical castration could be an option. But surely paedophillia is a "disorder of sexual preference" of the mind, not of the genitalia. I can see little compelling argument for castration, on the count of the fact that, and correct me if i am wrong here anyone who studies biology or even just knows, that whilst the genitalia produce "sex hormones", other hormones realted to enjoyment and happiness are produced by the brain. So if a paedophile we to enjoy, for reasons other than sexual excitement, the idea of a young child and various sex acts, would those that support castration also support psychosurgery to "cure their ills", as it were.
I do, however, agree with what jonathon said about being punished for what you do, not what you think. However, perhaps paedophillia is like canabalism and otehr almost ritualistic crimes because it is so abhorrent to the whole of society that even thinking about it is considered dangerous and sick. A question i would like to put to the forum is: Even though we should clearly afford the basic civic and human rights to a convicted criminal, should we ever afford them the whole gammet of rights afforded to us ? I ask this question because some prisoners in England have a better standard of living than those in say, Cambodia or any developping nation, who have done nothing wrong. Is that fair ? I don't think so.