U.S. Department of Corrections Compassionate Release Policies: A Content Analysis and Call to Action

Holland, Margaret M.; Prost, Stephanie Grace; Hoffmann, Heath C.; Dickinson, George E.

doi:10.1177/0030222818791708

Cited by 14 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…For example, although the majority of U.S. states have compassionate release programs in place, they are rarely used (Wang et al 2020). Providing information to individuals about the stringent criteria for compassionate release, including prognosis of less than six months of life, older age, and assurances that the individual does not pose public safety risks (Holland et al 2020), may result in higher levels of support. Another possibility is to explore how information exposure on the health-related harms of parental incarceration for children could relate to support for decarceration (Turney 2017; Turney and Goodsell 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although back-end policies are more difficult to implement because of a lack of legal mechanisms for release, some viable options include paroling individuals early or transferring conditions of supervision to home confinement (Wang et al 2020). Compassionate release, another back-end option in 46 U.S. states, permits terminally ill incarcerated individuals to die in their communities (Holland et al 2020). The importance of reducing population size is twofold.…”

Section: The Dangers Of Covid-19 In Prisons and Jailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Racial Resentment, Empathy, and Support for Release during COVID-19: Results from a Survey Experiment

Ivanov

Novisky

Vogel

2021

Socius

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented the American criminal justice system with unprecedented challenges, including protecting the safety of incarcerated men and women. Given the ill-suited structure of correctional facilities to facilitate health and safety guidelines, one solution is decarceration. Yet decarceration has faced political and public backlash. As no evidence currently exists on how the public views this emergency solution, the authors examined the correlates of support for decarceration by conducting a survey experiment in which respondents were randomly presented with information on the dangers of COVID-19 in prisons and jails. Respondents’ attitudes toward releasing various subgroups of the incarcerated population were then measured. The findings indicate that learning about the health risks of COVID-19 in correctional facilities had no discernable effect on support for decarceration for any subgroup. Racial resentment consistently predicted opposition to release for all groups, although its effect largely operated through empathetic identification with those who commit crimes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Dangers Of Covid-19 In Prisons and Jailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Racial Resentment, Empathy, and Support for Release during COVID-19: Results from a Survey Experiment

Ivanov

Novisky

Vogel

2021

Socius

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“…Sexual and violent offences were discussed as key factors to consider in relation to decisions surrounding compassionate release, yet there are many more; a comprehensive discussion of which can be found in a recent content analysis of US policies by Holland et al 40 While compassionate release policies vary between countries, research from across the globe 6 , 39 – 42 indicates that it is not applied for or secured as frequently as it could be. Post-release support is an important factor in decisions related to compassionate release, 40 , 43 and hospices should consider whether they are adequately prepared to care for someone on their release. This extends not only to ensuring that the security and confidentiality of the individual and other patients can be guaranteed, but also that staff are prepared for and supported throughout the experience.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Caring, sharing, preparing and declaring: how do hospices support prisons to provide palliative and end of life care? A qualitative descriptive study using telephone interviews

McParland

Johnston

2020

Palliat Med

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Background: Older adults in prison have complex healthcare needs, and many will need palliative care before their sentence ends. Compared with prison-based hospices, little is known about the role played by community-based hospices in providing palliative care to people in prison Aim: To describe the roles Scottish hospices have adopted to support prisons to provide palliative care, and to discuss the international relevance of these findings in addressing the knowledge gap around community hospices supporting people in prison. Design: A qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured telephone interviews. Setting/participants: Representatives from all Scottish adult hospices were invited to take part in a short telephone interview and all ( N = 17) participated. Results: Four roles were identified: caring, sharing, preparing and declaring. Most hospices employed different combinations of roles. Five (30%) hospices were engaged in caring (providing direct care at the prison or the hospice). Eleven (65%) hospices were engaged in sharing (supporting the prison by sharing knowledge and expertise). Eleven (65%) hospices were engaged in preparing (making preparations to support prisons). All seventeen hospices were described as declaring (expressing a willingness to engage with prisons to provide care). Conclusions: There are differences and similarities in the way countries provide palliative care to people in prison: many are similar to Scotland in that they do not operate prison-based hospices. Variations exist in the level of support hospices provide. Ensuring that all people in prison have equitable access to palliative care will require close collaboration between prisons and hospices on a national level.

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“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, prison clinicians must identify patients quickly who are at particularly high risk of poor health outcomes—whether due to COVID-19 or the restrictive environmental measures used to prevent or manage the outbreak—to be considered for early medical or “compassionate” release. And because many of these release mechanisms dictate a specific prognosis is detailed in the application (often less than 1 year; Holland et al, 2018 ), prison health care professionals will require specialized training and support from gerontologists and geriatricians to identify patients with poor prognosis, enumerate associated predictions and appropriate rationale, and communicate that rationale to necessary prison leadership and judicial personnel.…”

Section: Gerontological Knowledge and Skills Needed In Prison During mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prisons and COVID-19: A Desperate Call for Gerontological Expertise in Correctional Health Care

et al. 2020

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The large and continued growth of the older adult population within United States (US) prisons affects not only criminal justice policy and correctional health practice, but also gerontology. Amidst the unfolding COVID-19 crisis, associated knowledge and skills surrounding older adulthood will be critical to assuring the needs of older adults incarcerated in prisons are met during their detention, while undergoing off-site intervention in community settings, and when preparing for release. We outline several key areas for which gerontologists and associated practitioners are especially well-suited in the effort to curtail morbidity and mortality driven by the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Critical gerontological knowledge and skills needed in prison healthcare include awareness regarding the unusual clinical presentations of COVID-19 among older adults, deconditioning among older adults due to immobility, challenges in prognostication, and advance care planning with older adults. Specific, targeted opportunities for gerontologists are identified to reduce growing risks for older adults incarcerated in prisons.

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U.S. Department of Corrections Compassionate Release Policies: A Content Analysis and Call to Action

Cited by 14 publications

References 14 publications

Racial Resentment, Empathy, and Support for Release during COVID-19: Results from a Survey Experiment

Racial Resentment, Empathy, and Support for Release during COVID-19: Results from a Survey Experiment

Caring, sharing, preparing and declaring: how do hospices support prisons to provide palliative and end of life care? A qualitative descriptive study using telephone interviews

Prisons and COVID-19: A Desperate Call for Gerontological Expertise in Correctional Health Care

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