Article:S.C. May Cut Jail Time for
Organ Donors:/n/a/2007/03/08/national/a135946S52.DTL

Article:S.C. May Cut Jail Time
for Organ Donors:/n/a/2007/03/08/national/a135946S52.DTL

SFGate Home
Business
Sports
Entertainment
Travel

Classifieds
Jobs
Real Estate
Cars

SFGate Web by

S.C. May Cut Jail Time for Organ Donors

By SEANNA ADCOX, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Printable
Version

Email
This Article

del.icio.us

Digg

Technorati

Reddit

Slashdot

Fark

Newsvine

Google Bookmarks

Georgia (default)

Verdana

Times New Roman

Arial

(03-08) 13:59 PST Columbia, S.C. (AP) --

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.

South Carolina advocates for organ donations said the incentive policy
would be the first of its kind in the nation.

Federal law makes it illegal to give organ donors "valuable
consideration." Lawmakers want to know whether the term could apply to
time off of prison sentences.

"We want to make this work, we really do," said Republican Sen. John
Hawkins. "But I want to make sure no one goes to jail for good
intentions."

Mary Jo Cagle, chief medical officer of Bon Secours St. Francis Health
System in Greenville, urged senators to find an allowable incentive.

"We have a huge need for organs and bone marrow," Cagle said.

But Melissa Blevins, executive director of Donate Life South Carolina,
said any incentive would break the law and the principle behind
donations.

"It really muddies the water about motive. We want to keep it a clearly
altruistic act," she said.

Under the proposals, money for medical procedures and any prison guard
overtime would be paid by the organ recipient and charitable groups. The
state would also decide which inmates could donate.

Corrections Department Director Jon Ozmint said he believes inmates
would donate even without the incentive.

"There are long-term inmates who would give if they knew a child was
dying," he said. "They're lifers. They know they're going to die in
prison."

More than 95,300 Americans are awaiting an organ transplant, according
to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. About 6,700 die each
year.

Printable
Version

Email
This Article

del.icio.us

Digg

Technorati

Reddit

Slashdot

Fark

Newsvine

Google Bookmarks

Comments

Get up to 50% off home delivery of the Chronicle for 12
weeks!

Back
To Top

Edwards
Moving Staff Out of Nevada

Mortgage
crunch has even wealthy buyers scrambling for credit

Rookie
cop who killed himself removed clip, left bullet in chamber

Jesus
Loves Your Crappy Videos Behold GodTube.com, the place where
sex...

UC
president didn't bail, he was pushed out, sources say

Virtualization
firm VMware has biggest tech stock IPO since Google

Measure
banning Blue Angels from San Francisco skies is rejected

Mortgage
crunch has even wealthy buyers scrambling for credit

Chevron
workers' journey to health begins with 10,000 steps

VMware
shares hot on first day of trading

'Candlestick
Guy' seethes as pathetic Giants hit bottom

Something
to howl about: the Redwood City Blues Jam

The
mortgage crunch bites even the rich

Champion
pizzaiolo seeks oven

UC
President Dynes bows out after controversial 4 years

UC
president didn't bail, he was pushed out, sources say

Mortgage
crunch has even wealthy buyers scrambling for credit

HBO
Cancels `John From Cincinnati'

Efforts
to Free Utah Miners Continue

Fla.
Sheriff's Deputy Killed in Cruiser

Edwards
Moving Staff Out of Nevada

Ex-NBA
Referee Pleads Guilty to Charges

DRIVERS

1000 HIRING BONUS Deliver small

FINANCIAL

ANALYST $6,370 - $7,747 annually

GOVERNMENT

The Presidio Trust is a Federal...

The Presidio Trust

HEALTHCARE

Positions avail at Spokane VA Med

VA
MEDICAL CENTER

JOURNALISTS

WANTED for a move into PR : Senior

MAINTENANCE

Applications are being accepted

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS

MARKETING

MANAGER The Hong Kong Trade

NURSE

Chemo RN for estab. expanding

SALES

The premiere retailer for

SALES

MEDICAL Rapidly growing medical

TEACHER

Nationally recognized

TEACHER

Instructor Great personality to

TEACHER

ASST TEACHER F/T , Org, creative

VISUAL

EFFECTS Lucasfilm Entertainment Co

ACCTG

CONTROLLER Mission Neighborhood

About
Top Jobs

View All Top Jobs

Search more Jobs

Advertisers

Associated Press Sections InternationalStateSportsFinancialEntertainmentNationalPolitics

© 2007 Hearst
Communications Inc. | Privacy
Policy | Feedback | RSS Feeds | FAQ | Site Index | Contact

Be the first to share your
thoughts on this story.

Share your thoughts on this
story.

- be the first to share
your thoughts on this question.

- Sorry,
comments are closed for this story.

S.C. May Cut Jail Time for Organ
Donors

national