In the USA: Shorter prison sentences with organ donationAccording to the legislative initiative, prisoners could shorten their sentences by donating their organs. In the United States, prisoners in Massachusetts may soon be able to shorten their prison sentences by donating their organs or bone marrow, if a legislative initiative in the state passes.
Behind the bill are Carlos Gonzalez and Judith Garcia, who represent the Democratic Party in the state Congress.
The purpose of the law is to start an organ donation program in state prisons. The program would offer prisoners the opportunity to shorten their prison sentence by at least two months, but at most by a year. The program would be overseen by a five-member committee whose task would be to decide on eligibility requirements and how much of the sentence could be cut with donated organs or bone marrow.
According to Judith Garcia, another initiator of the bill, the law would restore to prisoners their "bodily autonomy" by giving them the opportunity to donate organs and bone marrow.
According to him, the decision to extradite prisoners would be taken into account by shortening prison sentences.
However, not everyone is convinced that the law works. Many fear that in the name of the program, prisoners in a vulnerable position would be "preyed" and would donate their organs in order to shorten their sentences.
Prisoners Legal Services of Massachusetts further points out that black and brown people are unfairly disadvantaged in many ways. Although they are not as easily accepted as recipients of donated organs as whites, the service does not believe this law will solve this "serious problem".
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