Mapping palliative care provision in European prisons: an EAPC Task Force Survey

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Public Health
• Criminal Justice

Background:

• Global prison populations are aging, increasing the need for end-of-life care.
• Existing research on palliative care provision for prisoners in Europe is scarce.
• The European Association for Palliative Care Task Force was formed to address this knowledge gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map palliative care services available to prisoners across European countries.
• To identify challenges and gaps in current prison healthcare systems regarding end-of-life care.
• To inform future international research and policy development.

Main Methods:

• A survey with 40 questions across six sections was developed by the Task Force Steering Committee.
• Data collection involved online searches of publicly available internet information.
• Descriptive statistics were used for numerical data, and thematic comparisons for free-text responses.

Main Results:

• The survey covered eight countries: Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, England and Wales, France, Portugal, Scotland, and Slovakia.
• Few prisons offer inpatient care, and only one country has dedicated palliative care units.
• Compassionate release for end-of-life prisoners is exceptionally uncommon in most surveyed nations.

Conclusions:

• To achieve the principle of equivalence, prison healthcare facilities for the sick and dying must be enhanced.
• Alternatively, a significant increase in compassionate release for prisoners nearing end-of-life is necessary.
• This study highlights critical issues in prison palliative care, laying groundwork for future international studies.