Convicted Rapist Turns Down Heart Transplant

There was outrage earlier this week when it was reported that a man sentenced to 18-to-40-years for sexually assaulting a teenage relative was being considered for a costly heart transplant. The procedure was to cost taxpayers $800,000 by some estimates, but would have extended the life of one Kenneth Pike, 55, who was flown from the state prison in Coxsackie to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where 49 patients are awaiting donor hearts. He would have been the first New York prisoner to get the costly procedure, the Post reports, but now he's had a (sorry!) change of heart.

"He's decided he don't [sic] want it," Pike's sister tells KOKI-TV. "He doesn't want the heart transplant and I have to stick by his decision." Apparently Pike's decision was informed by his belief that he'll never see the outside of prison no matter how long he lives. "He doesn't want to live this life no more [sic], which I understand," says his sister. "I totally agree with that 'cause I know he's innocent... I know he's an inmate. He's still a human being. He should be treated like a human being."

During his trial, one prosecutor said Pike was so "grotesquely criminal" that he should "rot in prison." But the possibility of a transplant raised an interesting debate about what counts as cruel and unusual punishment. If some criminals are so loathsome that they shouldn't qualify for such costly medical procedures, where do we draw the line at giving them any care? Is there a certain dollar amount past which we should just let convicts die?

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By John Del Signore in News on April 26, 2011 4:17 PM

Comments [rss]

HymietownHero

Maybe that line should be drawn where providing a life-saving procedure to a loathsome criminal would prevent a non-loathsome criminal from receiving said life-saving procedure. If he doesn't get the heart, someone else (presumably) will.

Emmily_Litella

Every life is precious, prison will reform him and society will benefit from his productive contributions.

Guest

Think of it this way, there are plenty of hardworking, tax paying, law abiding citizens who are denied medical procedures every day for far more trivial reasons. Why should prisoners get better treatment than them?

Sulayman

Well let's explore that idea. What are these trivial reasons? They won't give up smoking (and thus wasting the transplant), so they get bumped down the priority list? That actually happens.

iam draize

Our law system is so corrupt I have to assume he's innocent. I cant hate who the 'man' says I should hate, cause I dont trust the man no more,

Guest

" If some criminals are so loathsome that they shouldn't qualify for such costly medical procedures, where do we draw the line at giving them any care? Is there a certain dollar amount past which we should just let convicts die?"

Simple, you understand that no matter how loathesome they may be, they are still human beings with a right to be treated with basic dignity and that there is no line. Either all human life is precious or none of it is.