NCJ Number
220714
Journal
The Prison Journal Volume: 87 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2007 Pages: 391-407
Date Published
December 2007
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Through interviews with prison hospice coordinators, this study explores the structure and operations of hospice programs, how well they integrate within the larger prison community, and the impact that they have on the overall prison environment.
Abstract
Interviews with prison hospice coordinators indicate that all programs share a similar mission of attempting to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of offenders dying in prison. All programs are similar in that they employ interdisciplinary teams to pursue their mission and heavily rely on prisoner volunteers to provide the emotional connection and support to patients. Every program tends to have a core set of disciplines represented among its team members. Results also indicate that the hospice programs had been successfully integrated within the confines of a prison and medical unit within that institution. Generally, other personnel were accepting of the hospice’s presence within the institution. As a result, hospice’s presence contributed to a more generalized climate of trust, caring, and compassion. The findings suggest that when specific actions are taken in the design and operationalization of prison hospice programs, significant change can occur that affects staff, prisoner volunteers, and the general environments of institutions. Hospice (established in the late 1980s) is a humane model of treatment for prisoners who are not likely to be freed from the prison environment by means of compassionate release. The goal is to provide terminally ill inmates with effective pain management during the dying process, as well as meet their individual physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. The integration of prison hospice programs into the prison setting poses a unique organizational challenge. This survey of 14 prison hospice coordinators examined the organizational structure and operations of prison hospice programs and its impact on the larger prison community. References