The aging prison population is a worldwide phenomenon, which has turned a spotlight on the quality of prison healthcare services. In particular, the issue of end-of-life care (EoLC) in prisons is gaining traction in the professional literature and increased attention in the lay press.
However, keeping abreast of “current thinking” and up-to-date on the latest research is a formidable challenge.
There has been no central source of information on this critically important public health issue—that is, until now. The End-of-Life Care Behind Bars website aims to fulfill this need. This new resource is intended as an advocacy, teaching, and research tool—to inform and advance a seismic shift in society’s attitudes toward the incarcerated and to effect change.
You are invited to explore the website and:
- Download copies of recent issues of End-of-Life Care in the Prison Environment, an annotated summary of articles and reports published in the literature and news media
- Peruse the resources section, a listing of relevant contacts from around the world
- Leave a comment about issues in EoLC behind bars or about the website contents
- Follow our regularly planned postings. Your feedback will be invaluable and greatly appreciated.
The concept of “prison hospice” is being adopted by a small number of institutions in several countries. These initiatives are consistent with the philosophy and practice of hospice and palliative care: improving the quality of EoLC care for the incarcerated and recognising the potential capacity of correctional facilities to help rebuild—not destroy—souls; as one prison hospice volunteer has remarked: “I’m somebody that nobody thought I could be.”
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