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The Nuremberg trials were a series
of military tribunals, after World War
II, which were most notable for the
prosecution of prominent members
of Nazi Germany for war crimes.
The so-called Doctors’ Trial led to
the creation of the Nuremberg
Code to control future trials
involving human subjects, a set of
research ethics principles for human
experimentation.
Prisonsers’ consent is very likely to be coerced. They might be
forced by jail officers to consent or mey be lured by promises of
better food or just another good cot to sleep.
clinical trial is still ongoing. Even if
he volunteers to remain a part of
the research later, it would pose a
question whether or not to still call
the person a prisoner.
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To expedite clinical research in
prisoners, the government should
set up clinical pharmacology units
(CPU) in association with prisons.
One CPU could be associated with
prisons of a few neighbouring cities.
To prevent prisoners from trying to
escape, proper police staff must be
stationed. Though initially, it might
be expensive for the government
to set them up, they could be rent-
ed to researchers and pharmaceu-
tical companies. Eventually, it would
bring down the expenditure of re-
search for companies, and the gov-
ernment would profit by getting
revenue from CPUs.
To remove the issue of coercion,
the consent of relatives should be
made necessary. Prisoners can’t be
regarded to have free will, hence
the nearest living relative must
agree for the research. In case of
prisoners who don’t have a fami-
ly, the consent must be confirmed
by the ethics committee after hav-
ing interviews with prisoners. No
harmful trials should be conducted
on prisoners. Even though they are
criminals, the state has the duty to
protect the rights of prison inmates.
Proper care must be provided to
them.
No one should make them re-
alize that they are prisoners. Not
only will it act as an intervention
in rescuing them from mental dis-
orders, it will decrease the suicide
rates and hence decrease the
dropouts.
Hence, conducting trials on
prisoners will be beneficial for
prisoners, society, pharmaceutical
companies, government and the
humanity as a whole, although the
risk of exploitation of prisoners
must always be kept in mind.
Anurag Kumar
3088, Batch of 2014