1. For causing the fatal wreck that killed Army Sgt Thomas E Towsers Jr 22 year old Andreq Gaudioso was ordered to send the Soldier's family a post ever week for 15 years. According to Tower's father 'At first I thought I wanted prison for Gaudioso. Then I thought it would be better to force himn some way to remember - at least once a week- what he did. I think this does that. The unusual sentence does not specify what Gaudioso should write on the post card, which must be presented to his probabtion officer with the 28 cents postage paid. Gaudioso, who had traces of street drugs in his blood when he veered left of center at more that 80 mph in the rain and smashed almost head on into Tower's car, must also pass drug tests. If he fails to send the weekly postcards, or if he fails the drug tests, Gaudioso could be sent to prison for 15 years.
a. What do you think of this creative sentence?
b. Do you think that creative sentences like thisone should be allowed? Why or why not?
c. Is the punishment for Gaudioso proportional to the crime? Should it be?
d. Do you think Gaudioso's sentence will deter others? Why or why not?
2. A California prison inmate received a donor heart. He had suffered congestive heart failure the month before. The inmate was serving a 14 year sentence for roberrt, and the transplant and treatment for his illness cost California tax payers $1 million. Medical orifessionals defended the transplant, saying the recipient met medical criteria. Prison officials cited a 1976 Supreme Court decision and a 1997 California ruling by the 9th US Citcuit Court of Appeals requiring them to meet inmate medical needs. Critics point out that, among other things, at the time of the surgery, more than 4,000 Americans were on a waiting list for the heart transplants, and 700 would die that year waiting for one. The prison inmate died about a year after receiving the transplant. Prison authorities noted that he had failed to maintain rigorous medial rountines following the transplant.
a. Should prison inmates be eligible for organ transplants?
b. Does it matter whether they can pay for the,?
c. What does the law require prison officials to do abbout organ transplants?
d. Should the 'less eligibility' principle apply to organ transplants? Why or why not?
e. Should there be limits to the medical services provided to prison inmates and, if so what should the limits be?