Today on “WTF did I just read,” a new bill has received blowback because it gives prisoners in Massachusetts a shorter sentence if they donate their organs.
The bill lets prisoners shorten their sentences by sixty days to one year if they donate an organ or bone marrow.
According to prisoner advocates, incarcerated persons will feel pressured to trade their organs because no one wants to stay in prison any longer than they have to.
According to Massachusetts State Representative Carlos González, the bill’s goal is to widen the pool of donors to help Latino and Black family members receive life-saving treatment.
He added that this bill could help prisoners make positive decisions and regain individual agency.
How The Bill Works
The legislation was filed in January by González and Chelsea’s Judith Garcia.
The Massachusetts Department of Correction would establish a program for donations.
A committee of five parties would run it, including:
- A prisoners’ rights group
- Two members of the Massachusetts District Attorney’s Association
- An organ donor specialist
- DOC leadership
Is The Bill Ethical, Or Will It Give Prisoners No Choice?
In 2013, Utah became the first US state to allow prisoners to donate organs if they died in prison.
Federal prisoners can also donate organs to their families.
In Massachusetts alone, over 4,000 people are waiting for organ donations, so there is a proven need for additional sources of organ donations.
However, is using prisoners the solution?
Litigation director Jim Pingeon insists that many incarcerated individuals are not qualified to donate.
His solution targets underlying structural issues that lead to health disparities and insists it’s illegal to reward organ donation.
View this post on Instagram
Black and Pink Massachusetts are organizations that oppose the bill.
According to organization executive director Michael Cox, people shouldn’t sell their organs for freedom.
However, State Representative González stands his ground.
He insists that Black and Latino communities make up the majority of people who need organ donations, yet they have less than a fifty percent chance of finding one.
Wherever you stand on this bill, it’s a controversial one with benefits and downfalls on either side.
Comments 1