Paedophiles and other sex criminals will be castrated in brutal new crackdown

and are to face chemical castration, according to

Jailed offenders - and potentially even those given suspended sentences - will be castrated in a move to prevent reoffending. Using drugs to dull warped sexual urges can slash offending by up to 60 per cent, studies have reportedly shown.

And so Justice Secretary is said to be looking at plans to make chemical castration mandatory. One government source told : "For too long, we have turned a blind eye to the threat sex offenders pose, considering the solutions too difficult or unpalatable. Shabana isn’t squeamish about doing what it takes to protect the public. As always, she will grab this problem by the proverbials."

The Independent Sentencing Review proposed a small voluntary pilot in the South West of England but, according to the publication, this has been rejected as too soft. Instead, it will reportedly be expanded to 20 prisons in England and Wales ahead of a planned roll-out nationwide.

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Ms Mahmood, MP for Birmingham Ladywood since 2010, is understood to be exploring the feasibility of compulsory chemical castration. It would follow similar measures in the US where, certain states like California, have castration as a mandatory condition for jailed sex offenders freed on parole.

Ministers would start with jailed offenders, but insiders say they will explore broadening the scheme to those given suspended sentences, The Sun reports.

In Germany, France, Sweden and Denmark, it is voluntary for sex offenders to seek chemical castration proactively. These scheme cite various studies, including one showing reoffending rates could be slashed by up to 60 per cent.

Chemical castration uses two drugs — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors to limit invasive sexual thoughts, and anti-androgens to reduce testosterone and limit libido. Offenders are often given psychiatric sessions to reduce other impulses.

Ms Mahmood has been Justice Secretary since July last year when . Since then, she has worked on trying to cut reoffending rates across the UK, and .

Inmates are already being released early to stop jails running out of space by November. Thousands were released early in the autumn, after Ms Mahmood admitted more needed to be done to deal with prison overcrowding. However, speaking ahead of the programme, the 44-year-old politician said the early release scheme "only buys us some time".

Soon, the Independent Sentencing Review, led by former Tory minister David Gauke, is anticipated to urge the increased use of suspended sentences, deportation of more foreign offenders and more community punishments.