BOSTON (KGUN) — Massachusetts House Representatives Bud L. Williams (D-11), Russell E. Holmes (D-6), Judith A. Garcia (D-11) and Carlos González (D-10) are cosponsoring a bill which, if passed, would allow prisoners the chance to reduce their sentences.
HD. 3822 An Act to establish the Massachusetts incarcerated individual bone marrow and organ donation program would set out to do what no other state has done before.
According to the docket, prisoners would get at least two months reduced, but no more than a year.
The Bone Marrow and Organ Donation 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 in Department of Corrections facilities, or House of Correction facilities if they are serving a Department of Correction sentence in a House of Corrections facility, on the condition that the incarcerated individual has donated bone marrow or organ(s).
It would maintain this through an established committee, consisting of:
- Commissioner of the Department of Correction
- Or their designee who will act as chair of the committee
- Medical Director of the Department of Corrections or their designee
- Bone Marrow and Organ Donation Specialist from a hospital within the Commonwealth
- Or their designee
- A representative of an organization advocating for bone marrow donations within the Commonwealth
- Or their designee
- Two Governor appointment officials to serve three-year terms
- One must represent a board member of an advocacy group advocating for the rights of incarcerated individuals
- Second must come from the Massachusetts District Attorney’s Association
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics analysts saw an overall 15% increase in incarcerations from 2020 to 2021.
Researchers with the Health Resources & Services Administration also found while 17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant, over 100,000 sit patiently on the national transplant waiting list.
The Sentencing Project points out:The United States is the world’s leader in incarceration. Per their findings, the last 40 years have seen a 500% increase totaling up to two million people in America's prisons and jails currently.
Apparently, the sponsors are hoping HD. 3822 will help relieve these issues the state currently faces, along with the rest of the country.
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Caleb Fernández is a digital content producer for KGUN 9. After earning his bachelor's degree from Penn State in Advertising/Public Relations, Caleb went to New York where he learned production assistance, photography and art direction. Share your story ideas and important issues with Caleb by emailing caleb.fernandez@kgun9.com or by connecting on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
