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
