Alabama Lawmaker Seeks Felony Penalty Over Unconsented Organ Procurement From Deceased Inmates
USA: Families in Alabama allege that organs and tissues were removed from deceased people in state custody without notification or permission, sparking outrage, lawsuits, and a legislative push to change criminal penalties around organ procurement and transplantation-related practices. Relatives discovered missing organs only after funeral preparations; in one case the organs were later found in a biohazard bag, and another family says a loved one’s heart could not be located. Those incidents have become the center of scrutiny over how autopsies, tissue retention, and potential transplantation pathways are managed when someone dies in custody.
State law currently requires next-of-kin notification and consent to remove or retain organs after death, but it carries no criminal penalties for violations. Representative Englund plans to introduce legislation in the upcoming session to make removing organs without family permission a class C felony. Medical ethicists consulted in the wake of the revelations emphasize that tissue and organ removal during autopsy is normally temporary and that organs should be returned to the body unless there is a compelling reason — and families should always be informed.
Attorney Lauren Ferrigno frames the issue as one of transparency and respect rather than a question of legitimate organ donation or research. The controversy has produced both state and federal litigation; Ferrigno says dozens of families may be affected and that she will continue to pursue accountability through the courts if institutions do not acknowledge wrongdoing. The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s pathology department has stated it has complied with applicable autopsy laws and that a medical ethics panel reviewed practices.
A practical consequence of the dispute is a sharp drop in autopsies for people who die in Department of Corrections custody after UAB ceased performing them under contract. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences handles only certain cases, and officials now say autopsies are being carried out only in unusual or suspicious deaths — raising concerns that routine oversight may be reduced and that opportunities to determine cause of death and identify potential crimes could be missed. The legislative proposals and ongoing litigation are positioned as attempts to restore notice, consent, and public trust in postmortem procedures.
Video originally published on 2026-01-01 19:23:51
