Human organs from prisoners: kidneys for life

• Published in: Journal of medical ethics Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 171 - 175
• Main Author: de Castro, L D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Institute of Medical Ethics 01.06.2003; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Analysis; Atonement; Attitude to Health; Bioethics; Blood & organ donations; Capital punishment; Christianity; Coercion; Compensation; Criminal justice; Criminal sentences; Criminals; Decision Making; Donation of organs, tissues, etc; Ethical aspects; ethics; Government regulation; Humans; Kidney transplantation; Kidney Transplantation - ethics; Kidneys; Laws, regulations and rules; Medical ethics; Motivation; Organ donation; Organ transplantation; Original; Philippines; Prisoners; Prisoners - psychology; Prisoners' rights; Prisons; Proposals; Public Opinion; Sentence commutation; Tissue and Organ Procurement - ethics; Tissue donation; Tissue transplantation; Transplantation; Transplantation of organs, tissues, etc; Transplants & implants; vulnerability; Vulnerable Populations; Philippines; United States; Health Care and Public Health
• ISSN: 0306-6800; 1473-4257
• DOI: 10.1136/jme.29.3.171

A proposal to allow prisoners to save their lives or to be eligible for commutation of sentence by donating kidneys for transplantation has been a subject of controversy in the Philippines. Notwithstanding the vulnerabilities associated with imprisonment, there are good reasons for allowing organ donations by prisoners. Under certain conditions, such donations can be very beneficial not only to the recipients but to the prisoners themselves. While protection needs to be given to avoid coercion and exploitation, overprotection has to be avoided. The prohibition on the involvement of prisoners in organ transplantation constitutes unjustified overprotection. Under certain conditions, prisoners can make genuinely independent decisions. When it can be reasonably ascertained that they are able to decide freely, society should recognise an obligation to help them implement their decisions, such as when they intend to donate an organ as a way of asserting their religious faith and performing a sacrifice in atonement for their sins.