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Travis's avatar

Redemption is good. I understand the ethical argument of creating a greater incentive to execute criminals, but I doubt the causality of that argument. People usually want executions for punishment reasons. I doubt that putting more people on death row in order to harvest their organs will relate to these punishment pursuers. I would anticipate it would be politically ruinous to put more people on death row under this policy saying, "We want their organs--that's why they're there." And yet, it makes sense for those with nothing left to give to want to give their organs. For their sake and others.

I'm for it. Thanks Sally. Let me know where I can help.

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Peter Feldstein's avatar

What could possibly go wrong with giving Abbott, or any of the other Governors of the states that execute people, this sort of power? Besides providing a "moral" justification for continuing their policies of executing the poor (who are the only people executed, of course), it provides unimaginable opportunities for abuse. How about eliminating the death penalty, and letting any willing prisoner become an organ donor? Or would state officials even then find ways to exert undue influence in order to extract organs in exchange for privileges, up to and including parole release? Those incarcerated folks are utterly at the mercy of other people (and a huge percentage are mentally ill), and these sorts of contractual agreements ought not have such glaring power imbalances. Better think this one through really, really carefully, AEI.

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