Jessica Wapner writes, "A Prison Doctor, an Execution, and a Resignation," for the PLoS blog. She's a freelance writer focused mainly on biomedical issues. Her work has been published in Scientific American, The New York Times, and other publications.
Here's the beginning of this lengthy must-read:
Although the following story is unrelated to drug development, it raises some potent ethical issues that, I suspect, will find a home here. I met Marc Stern when I was researching prison tattoo programs and his story, along with its accompanying considerations, have been on my mind ever since. It is great to have this forum in which to write about it, so thank you in advance to all you readers coming along for this particular bumpy ride.
When Marc Stern first accepted the job as Medical Director for Washington State’s Department of Corrections in 2006, he really wasn’t thinking much about the death penalty. The issue was important to him, but he was more focused on the numerous health issues now under his purview.
But three or four years into his tenure, it was time for the DOC to review the policy on executions and related preparations. Stern was among the handful of people who had to sign off on all policy revisions before they went to the Department’s secretary for signature. He was stunned to learn that the current policy called on the medical director to make sure that the gurney (ie, the death table) was in working order. “I remember laughing and said ‘No way!’” says Stern. He was adamant that no medical personnel be involved in death penalty preparations, and requested that the policy be updated to include specific wording that excluded all medical personnel from participating, however tangentially, in capital punishment. He was following the ethical cannon laid out by the American Medical Association (PDF), the American College of Physicians, and the Society of Correctional Physicians. These three professional bodies have guidelines in place for what, in their estimation, is the ethical way for a doctor to participate in executions: not at all.
Because he was busy monitoring so many pressing health issues, Stern delegated participation in the review of several corrections policies to a staff member, and, appropriately, simply was not invited to participate in the death penalty policy revisions. He assumed that the changes he wanted in the policy would be made, even in his absence. That never happened. Months later, court documents would reveal that the Department was making an effort to deliberately circumvent Stern’s instructions.
Earlier coverage of Dr. Stern's resignation is at the link; related posts are inthe physician index.
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