The GRACE Project: Guiding End-of-Life Care in Corrections 1998-2001

The GRACE (Guiding Responsive Action in Corrections at End of Life) Project promotes the development of end-of-life (EOL) care programs in correctional settings. Managers of pioneer programs were interviewed and worked together with correctional and community professionals in the planning. The project established a resource center, developed and published standards and a handbook, and produced journal articles. Four sites with pioneering programs have undertaken demonstration projects to show how program enhancements could be designed, implemented, monitored, and evaluated. Early data suggest that both frontline staff and supporting organizations have crucial roles to play in sustaining present momentum. When representatives from diverse areas of expertise worked together on this project, innovations emerged that help point the way for future institutional change.