NCJ Number
66414
Date Published
1977
Length
28 pages
Annotation
RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE REPORTED FROM A SURVEY AND INTERVIEWS OF SAMPLES OF INMATES IN A PRISON MEDICAL CARE UNIT REGARDING THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR DYING IN PRISON.
Abstract
STUDY SUBJECTS WERE 46 RESIDENTS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH SERVICES UNIT OF THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN FORT WORTH, TEX. SINCE INTERACTION OCCURS AT ALL LEVELS OF THE UNIT, ALL RESIDENTS CAN BE EXPOSED TO THE EXPERIENCES AND ATTITUDES OF THE TERMINALLY ILL. RESIDENTS OF THE UNIT ARE THEREFORE STRONGLY CONFRONTED WITH THE POSSIBILITY THEY MIGHT DIE IN PRISON. THE STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE SUBJECT ATTITUDES THAT MIGHT SUGGEST AN IMPROVEMENT IN INMATE SOCIAL AND MEDICAL SERVICES. WHILE 46 OF THE INMATES COMPLETED A QUESTIONNAIRE WITH ITEMS BEARING UPON ATTITUDES TOWARD DEATH IN GENERAL AND DYING IN PRISON IN PARTICULAR, ONLY 15 IN THE SAMPLE WERE GIVEN FOLLOWUP, INDEPTH INTERVIEWS RELATED TO QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES. FINDINGS DO NOT ESTABLISH THE HYPOTHESIS THAT STRONG FAMILY TIES INFLUENCE ATTITUDES TOWARD DEATH. REGARDLESS OF STRENGTH OF FAMILY TIES, THERE ARE 17 (36.9 PERCENT) WHO ARE FEARFUL OF DYING IN PRISON, AND 13 (28.26 PERCENT) WHO FEEL THAT DEATH IN PRISON IS SHAMEFUL. SERVICES THAT COULD RELIEVE ANXIETIES OF THE TERMINALLY ILL INMATES ABOUT DYING IN PRISON ARE DAILY VISTS BY THE FAMILY AND GROUP SESSIONS WHERE ATTITUDES TOWARD DYING COULD BE FRANKLY DISCUSSED. TABULAR DATA AND A SAMPLE OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)