Female Inmates Sterilized In California Tied To Nazis, Eugenics, Social Darwinism

As we see female inmates sterilized in California’s prisons some may wonder when that practice started. You might be shocked it has a long history tied back to Nazis, eugenics, and Social Darwinism.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the female inmates sterilized at Valley State Prison had the procedure pushed on them by insistent doctors.

Between 2006 and 2010, the Center Of Investigative Reporting claims 148 cases of female inmates sterilized when they shouldn’t have been. Going back to 1997, they estimate another 100 prisoners could have undergone female sterilization.

The history of such ideas began when Sir Francis Galton, cousin of Charles Darwin, began arguing for the concept of eugenics as a form of Social Darwinism. The basic concept was that allowing the “unfit” to have children might weaken humanity and thus human reproduction should be controlled by law. The concept of Social Darwinism was upheld by Nazis, who actively killed anyone considered lesser than their race.

The Asexualization Act of 1909 originally started California’s practice of forcing male and female inmates to be sterilized. Beginning with a group of 20,000, a California board targeted anyone diagnosed as mentally ill, mentally deficient, feeble-mindeded. Nowadays, we use vasectomies in men or tubal ligations in women. But in 1909, California made it legal to castrate a man or remove the ovaries from a woman. 30 other American states eventually joined California in implementing Social Darwinism in America.

But over time the enforcement of the Asexualization Act unofficially began to target the poor, the promiscuous, the drunk, and race groups like African Americans and Mexicans. Supporters of eugenics even went after the children of these people.

Fortunately, the revelation of what the Nazis did during World War II turned public opinion in America against eugenics and other aspects of Social Darwinism. Eventually, the practice of forced sterilization was banned by Federal law in 1979. But as of 1994 the practice was once again allowed, but only based upon the approval of top medical officials on a case-by-case basis.

Are you surprised the female inmates sterilized recently in California are historically tied back to Nazis, eugenics, and Social Darwinism?