Incarcerated Individuals in Massachusetts May Soon Be Able to Donate Organs in Exchange for Early Release

Lawmakers in Massachusetts have introduced a new bill offering incarcerated people reductions in their prison sentences for the donation of bone marrow or organs.

According to the proposed bill, the “program shall allow eligible incarcerated individuals to gain not less than 60 and not more than 365 day reduction in the length of their committed sentence.”

A committee would be created to oversee the program and to decide if an incarcerated person is eligible to participate. The committee would also decide “the amount of bone marrow and organ(s) donated to earn one’s sentence to be commuted”.

The bill is meant to aid in the establishment of an organ donation program within the state’s prison system.

The bill was introduced by two Democratic State Representatives, Carlos González of Springfield and Judith García of Chelsea.

García wrote on Twitter that the bill will “restore bodily autonomy to incarcerated folks by providing opportunity to donate organs and bone marrow” and “recognize incarcerated donors’ decisions by offering reduced sentence.”

Opponents have voiced the inhumane nature of asking incarcerated people to give their organs away in exchange for early release.

Do you think this program will potentially help or hurt incarcerated individuals?

#massachusetts #incarceratedlivesmatter #incarceration #prison #organdonation #reducedsentence #innocent #democrats #bodilyautonomy #fyi #news