WTF - Inmates to be offered time off for organs

Post #277,800 by JayMehaffey 3/8/07 10:02:28 PM 3/8/07 10:02:41 PM Reply	WTF - Inmates to be offered time off for organs [link\|http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070308/ap_on_re_us/inmates_organ_donations\|Yahoo News] Inmates in South Carolina could soon find that a kidney is worth 180 days. Lawmakers are considering legislation that would let prisoners donate organs or bone marrow in exchange for time off their sentences. A state Senate panel on Thursday endorsed creating an organ-and-tissue donation program for inmates. But legislators postponed debate on a measure to reduce the sentences of participating prisoners, citing concern that federal law may not allow it. "I think it's imperative that we go all out and see what we can do," said the bills' chief sponsor, Democratic Sen. Ralph Anderson. "I would like to see us get enough donors that people are no longer dying." The proposal approved by the Senate Corrections and Penology Subcommittee would set up a volunteer donor program in prisons to teach inmates about the need for donors. But lawmakers want legal advice before acting on a bill that would shave up to 180 days off a prison sentence for inmates who donate. This is an insanely bad idea, a WTF on several different levels. The potential here for abuse if this goes through is amazing. Jay Edited by JayMehaffey March 8, 2007, 10:02:41 PM EST Expand All History
Post #277,806 by Steve Lowe 3/9/07 12:00:42 AM Reply	Stupid quote of the year nomination "I would like to see us get enough donors that people are no longer dying." -- Steve [link\|http://www.ubuntulinux.org\|Ubuntu]
Post #277,869 by bionerd 3/9/07 6:12:56 PM Reply	It's a good idea 180 days. Big deal. 180 days off a 10, 15, 2O year sentence is nothing. They would probably get paroled prior to that anyway. Prisons are overcrowded. They dont rehabilitate. That 180 days isnt gonna make one bit of difference. Inmates are a drain on our resources. If someone gets out of prison 180 days earlier because they donated an organ, rather than being paroled for overcrowding, I'm all for it. At least some good came out of it. They want to tap into a population of viable organs to use. They should.
Post #277,907 by Simon_Jester 3/10/07 12:11:29 AM Reply	Perhaps... but bone marrow isn't that difficult to get. I can understand the kidney....but most bone marrow transplants use Perpherial Stem Cells....it's as difficult as being hooked up to a dialysis machine for a couple of hours. Feh.
Post #277,877 by tjsinclair 3/9/07 7:14:00 PM Reply	Larry Niven thought of it first In his stories, society decided that since a single prisoner could extend the lives of three or four law-abiding citizens, they replaced capital punishment with the organ banks. Of course, as the need for organs grew, lesser and lesser crimes became organ bank offenses. In one short story, a man gets sentenced for too many unpaid traffic tickets. Tom Sinclair Rube: You like spaghetti, George? I like spaghetti. I like board games. I like grabbing a trifecta with that longshot on top. That ozone smell you get from air purifiers. And I like knowing the space between my ears is immeasurable. Mahler's first, Bernstein conducting. You've got to think about all the things you like and decide whether they're worth sticking around for. And if they are, you'll find a way to do this. George: And what if I don't? Rube: Then you go away, and you don't get to like anything anymore. - Dead Like Me
Post #277,891 by SpiceWare 3/9/07 8:33:01 PM Reply	LEXX - I Worship His Shadow Stan is sentenced to forced organ donation for poor performance as a security guard. Darrell Spice, Jr. Trendy yet complex\nPeople seek me out - though they're not sure why\n[link\|http://spiceware.org/gallery/ArtisticOverpass\|Artistic Overpass] [link\|http://www.spiceware.org/\|SpiceWare]
Post #277,922 by Another Scott 3/10/07 8:09:06 AM Reply	There's an "As it Happens" interview with Anderson. I believe it was on Part 2 [link\|http://www.cbc.ca/radioshows/AS_IT_HAPPENS/20070309.shtml\|here] (RA links). It seems like a bad solution to the problem to me. In addition to the moral issues outlined by others in the thread, just the fact that it's so easy to coerce a captive population under the guise of "volunteering" gives me the willies. Although I've indicated my willingness to be a donor on my driver's license, I've never been completely comfortable with the idea. There are always going to be more people who could benefit from replacement organs than an affordable appropriate supply. While it's easy to argue that it's better to use parts that will just rot in the ground than not, I worry about the costs, the procedures to decide who gets the parts, and the fact that it probably makes much more sense for us to spend the money differently. The work and money that made it possible for a heart transplant for [link\|http://www.news-medical.net/?id=7750\|69 year old man] could have probably had more of an impact on treatments for people younger than 20. Yes, it's not an either-or proposition, and money not spent on the 69 year old wouldn't be spent on, say, anti-malarial research, but it still bothers me. We, as humans, need to get over our mania for extending life at any cost, IMHO. Quality is much more important than longevity. Cheers, Scott.

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