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January 19, 2006
IMHO: Should death row inmates be allowed the right to refuse lifesaving medical care?
The execution of Clarence Ray Allen, the second oldest death row inmate since the death penalty resumed, leaves behind an interesting question. Having already suffered one heart attack in September, Allen requested that he not be resuscitated should he go into cardiac arrest prior to his execution. Prison officials said if the situation arose they would refuse to honor his request.
"At no point are we not going to value the sanctity of life. We would resuscitate him," then execute him, prison spokesman Vernell Crittendon is reported to have said in this CNN.com story. I wonder about the paradox in this policy, there seems to be cruely and hope in the same breath. It is good that the prison officials would not simply allow him to die to be done with it, in case of a last minute change, but at the same time to resuscitate someone who is facing certain death seems cruel.
I don't personally know anyone who has been resuscitated, but it does not sound like an easy recovery. When I learned CPR over two decades ago the instructor taught us to expect to hear sounds of bones cracking, and explained that sometimes ribs break in the process. Allen had been resuscitated recently, and would certainly be able to decide if he wanted to go through the experience again.
Would it be unreasonable to allow death row inmates a living will? Perhaps this concept is too new to for a prison official to determine, but it's a debate that should be opened. How would advance directives for prison inmates differ from the general public? What would the legislature need to consider? What safeguards need to be put into place to allow inmates that right? Should a court review the request to be sure the inmate has voluntarily made the decision and to insure the inmate understands his/her right to revoke the decision at any time? Has our society evolved to a point where we are ready for questions like these?
Posted by Anna at January 19, 2006 2:53 AM