NCJ Number
84672
Journal
Journal of Prison and Jail Health Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring/Summer 1982) Pages: 41-46
Date Published
1982
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A plasmapheresis center, which pays inmates to undergo plasmapheresis twice weekly, is presently operating in a major metropolitan jail. The process is dangerous to the inmates, dangerous to the recipients of the subsequent plasma products, and ethically suspect.
Abstract
The program is being run at the Cook County Jail in Chicago, where a commercial company removes plasma from willing inmates for a fee of $6.25 per session plus fresh fruit and juice. The company also pays the jail an additional dollar per inmate per session to cover the cost of the building where the sessions are held. Studies have indicated that regular plasmapheresis depletes serum protein levels of donors, thus decreasing their ability to overcome infections. Purchase of plasma from drug addicts or donors with slightly elevated levels of SGPT in their blood can cause hepatitis in the recipients. Finally, the inducements offered for participation in the program can be considered implicitly coercive in the jail environment. A total of 3 footnotes and 10 references are given.