Care for Prisoner with Leukemia Pricey for Taxpayers

Inmate Lanny Barnes had leukemia before he was sentenced to life in prison for running over a family in a McDonald's parking lot in 2006, an attack that killed two-year-old Avery King and injured four other people. Since October 2007, Barnes' care for his leukemia cost taxpayers $470,000, or just over a third of the sheriff's medical budget for that time period. Apparently, Barnes needed a bone marrow transplant before he went into custody, but prison officials have refused to say whether or not he has received a transplant.

Medical care for seriously ill prisoners presents a difficult situation for the prison system. Regulations demand that prisoners be treated humanely, which means that medical care must be given while prisoners are in custody. Does this requirement for medical care demand that life-saving treatments such as a bone marrow transplant must be given? Without aggressive treatment, Barnes' leukemia would cause his death within a few months. Does humane treatment demand that his death be prevented with all available means, no matter how expensive? What do you think Mr. Barnes' rights are? What should be done when a prisoner needs a bone marrow transplant, or an organ transplant? Should they get the same priority as patients outside the prison system? Share your thoughts about Barnes' situation in our forums.