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July 24, 2017

Tennessee Judge Under Fire for Shortening Sentences for Prisoners Who Get Sterilized
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In Tennessee, a judge is under fire after it was revealed he was
offering to shorten prison sentences for people who agreed to get
sterilized. In May, Judge Sam Benningfield issued an order saying that
any prisoners who agreed to undergo a vasectomy or receive long-term
contraceptive implants would receive 30 days of credit off their
sentences. The ACLU says the practice is unconstitutional, saying, "Such
a choice violates the fundamental constitutional right to reproductive
autonomy and bodily integrity by interfering with the intimate decision
of whether and when to have a child, imposing an intrusive medical
procedure on individuals who are not in a position to reject it."


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