A new bill introduced by Democrat Representatives in Massachusetts would allow prisoners incarcerated in the state to donate their organs or bone marrow in exchange for less prison time.
Bill HD3822, introduced by Democrat Representatives Carlos González and Judith García, aims to create a new organ donation program in the state that would allow prisoners to donate their bone marrow, kidney, liver, or other organs in exchange for a lighter sentence.
Per the Bill, incarcerated individuals would receive between a 60 to 365 days reduction from their sentence in exchange for their organs.
Here’s the introductory page of HD382:
Many legal scholars are calling the new bill unethical.
Professor John Hooker, who serves as an ethics professor at Carnegie Mellon University, told Yahoo News “I don’t see an ethical justification for the proposed Massachusetts law.”
This isn’t the first time the state of Massachusetts has offered lighter sentences to prisoners in exchange for obedience to a new medical program.
CNN reported in 2021, Massachusetts’ prisoners who opted to get the Covid-19 vaccine were eligible to receive up to 7 days off their sentences.