The information in this piece is taken from the Spring 2009 MaineLink, a Maine Hospice Council newsletter.
Since 2001, the Maine State Prison has enjoyed and benefitted from a strong partnership with the Maine Hospice Council and community volunteer involvement. Under the guidance of Kandyce Powell, the Executive Director of the Maine Hospice Council, this unique partnership has brought a number of end-of-life program components to the prison that include staff training on issues of dying and death, pain management education for medical staff, a biennial memorial service for prisoners and an expansion of the Healing After Loss Group, developed and facilitated in 1998 by Dr. Diane Schetky, who was then the part-time facility psychiatrist.
Several years ago, both Kandyce Powell and Dr. Schetky provided a series of classes on bereavement and loss topics specifically designed for the prison’s mental health staff and Kandyce organized pain management education sessions for the medical staff.
Over the years, there have been some challenges to work through in order to progress with the end-of-life care program. These have ranged from resolving security issues and concerns, adjusting to having occasional female patients from the Maine Correctional Center, medical personnel changes and fortunately, having a small number of terminally ill prisoners. Prison Chaplain Walter Foster with his long standing interest in hospice care has brought new energy and ideas to the Committee, offering to chair meetings and doing the work necessary to move the program forward.
The partnership between the Maine State Prison, the Maine Hospice Council and our community volunteers has brought elevated awareness of end-of- life issues to the prison. This partnership has enhanced services for prisoners and provided staff with greater knowledge and sensitivity on issues of loss.
In August, the prison program is expanding to include education for prisoners on hospice and end-of-life care.
