Access to certain rights and privileges for prisoners has been an ongoing discussion for decades. They should be punished for their crimes, but can we really take away their access to specific opportunities? It is a fine line that, in many cases, can be difficult to traverse. Recently, a new question has been raised: should there be access to fertility treatment within the prison and justice systems, and if so, what would it look like? The International IVF Initiative held an online webinar to discuss the topic with experts.
The event was moderated by Dr Lyndon Miles, consultant embryologist and clinic director at the centre for reproduction and gynaecology in Wales, and Colleen Quinn, an attorney from Richmond, Virginia. I believe having perspectives from different countries was essential because it created space for dialogue that can be later used as inspiration for updating the prison and justice systems.
Also joining the discussion was Dr Dawn Kelk, an embryologist from Yale School of Medicine, Connecticut, as well as two other retired attorneys, Will and Ruth Claiborne from Georgi. Having various experts talk about individual pieces, the webinar was able to touch on every aspect of the subject, from current policies down to the welfare of potential children. Each of the guest speakers offered a different perspective on the issue, providing the listeners with concrete evidence as well as professional opinions.
This format presented the information in such a way that encouraged the audience to form their own opinion on the matter with open discussion. I often find that lecture-based events with no opportunity for discussion push listeners to tune out. This approach was extremely engaging, and I believe it made the audience much more receptive to the information.
While inmates currently do not have a general right to access fertility treatment, they are allowed to make a request at any point. According to the European Convention on Human Rights, prisoners retain all their basic rights outside of liberty; therefore, in the UK, prisoners technically retain the right to start a family under the UK Human Rights Act of 1998.
This aspect of the webinar was extremely thought-provoking. What purpose is prison supposed to serve and what does that entail? What freedoms and how many liberties should be stripped away? These are questions I have grappled with before, however, never in the context of family and fertility treatment. Before listening to the webinar, I had been unaware of this issue, highlighting the importance of webinars like these to inform the public.
The webinar spent time offering specific examples from different countries of prison inmates attempting to access some form of fertility treatment. UK murderer Kirk Dickson, serving a life sentence, wanted to use his sperm to artificially inseminate his wife living outside. Despite his life sentence, Dickson was able to take his case to court multiple times over many years until eventually he was granted access to fertility services.
Cases like this influence the audience to think critically about their position on the issue. There is an extremely strong public opinion that murderers should not be allowed access to fertility services or conjugal visits; however, where exactly do we draw the line? There becomes a grey area if the law is subjective and looked at on a case-by-case basis. I found that the webinar addressed these questions very well and offered a space where it could be openly discussed.
The International IVF Initiative online webinar was extremely successful in trying to facilitate public engagement with this subject. Oftentimes there is a disconnect between the public and the policymakers with topics that are not necessarily mainstream. I believe that when the general public does not understand the issues, they are not interested in providing their opinion or taking action. It is crucial for events like this to take place as it gives people the literacy and knowledge to discuss the issues and hopefully influence the outcome. I highly recommend the International IVF Initiative webinar on fertility treatment in prison, for you to determine your own opinion on this emotive subject.
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