This grief pamphlet was designed for inmates held in prisons and jails to aid them in understanding grief and offer ideas and suggestions to cope with losses that have occurred in their lives.
Grief in the loss of a family member, friend, spouse, or child is a process that takes time to heal. Losses do not only take the form a death, they can also include the loss of health or the separation from a child that also takes time to heal. This healing process becomes excessively difficult for those incarcerated. This pamphlet was designed for those incarcerated offenders feeling real-life losses and provides them with an understanding of all the emotions and feelings, such as regret, blame, hopelessness, and anger, involved in dealing with a loss. In addition, coping tools are presented to help in the healing process. It is emphasized that coping tools should be selected that are right for one's path to healing. Specific healing tools in the loss of a death were presented and included: (1) finding someone you can talk to; (2) feel free to cry in the privacy of your own cell or office of a staff person; (3) see if someone could represent you at the viewing; (4) ask family for a program of the service; and (5) at the time of funeral plan to be with someone for support.