Palliative care needs and experiences of people in prison: A systematic review and meta-synthesis

Globally, the prison population is growing and ageing, as is the need for palliative care. Yet, little is known about how people in prison perceive palliative care provision in this setting.

To identify the: (i) perceptions of palliative care provision and dying in custody by people in prison; and (ii) perceived barriers and facilitators of person-centred palliative care provision in prison.

A systematic review and meta-synthesis was registered and undertaken in accordance with the reporting guidelines.

Keywords and MeSH headings encompassing (i) palliative care, end-of-life care, death; and (ii) prison; were used to search Pubmed, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINCH and ProQuest Central. Articles published in English, from high income countries, and containing qualitative data exploring perceptions of people in prison of palliative care in custody were included. Findings were reporting using the ENTREQ guidelines.

Of the 2193 articles identified, 12 were included. Experiences of people in prison regarding palliative care related to two themes: (1) expectations versus experiences of palliative care; and (2) prison context complicates access to and provision of palliative care. People in prison with palliative care needs want to feel safe, cared for, and acknowledged as they face an expected death. The prison environment can severely restrict access to palliative care, leaving people in prison feeling isolated and powerless.

People in prison expect to receive high-quality palliative care, but their experiences often do not match their expectations. Numerous structural and organisational challenges complicate the provision of palliative care in prisons, limiting accessibility of care.