Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility

Authors

Brook Cooley Webb, Ball State University
Mollee K. Steely Smith, University of Arkansas of Medical Sciences
Tusty ten Bensel, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Abstract

The aging inmate population in American prisons has noticeably increased, contributing to a more significant number of offenders who will die in prison, thus forcing correctional facilities to aid in caring for prisoners at the end of life. Two common responses have emerged to deliver adequate healthcare to inmates, including hospice programs and End-of-Life (EOL) care services. This study aimed to explore the nature of EOL care in a state prison by interviewing correctional administrators, correctional officers, and relevant medical personnel (N=17). The current study provided insight into the inclusion criteria for inmates who utilized EOL care in the prison system and the services available. It also discussed how EOL care has evolved since its inception and the future direction of EOL care services in the correctional system.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Webb, Brook Cooley; Steely Smith, Mollee K.; and Bensel, Tusty ten (2023) "Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility," Qualitative Criminology (QC): Vol. 12: No. 2, Article 5.
Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/qc/vol12/iss2/5