If security isn't behind the concept, the program is sunk. Security controls inmate movement, security controls the degree of interaction between inmates, security controls inmate property. The inclusion of security in the multidisciplinary team and a recognition of their contribution are necessary for a viable program. The patient and family are the unit of care. Operating a hospice in the prison setting requires a similar redefinition of family.
Volunteers are the heart of hospice.
The modern hospice movement was founded by volunteers. The respite, the friendship, the caring that volunteers give had never been provided within the framework of any health care delivery system. Volunteers are so essential, so vital, so hospice, that the use of volunteers was actually written into federal and state Medicare regulations. They are everyday people who make a commitment to care for vulnerable others. When I open my eyes, I am surrounded by eight murderers, two armed robbers, one sex offender, and two men who solicited for murder.