Story perspectives

Inmates Find Purpose Caring for Dying Peers in Hospice

11/13/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The California Medical Facility operates a unique hospice program that lets incarcerated individuals care for dying peers, providing companionship and support.
Established in 1993, the facility features a garden that gives inmates a sense of purpose and connection amid an aging prison population.
California now approves about 100 compassionate releases annually.
Pastoral care worker Allan Krenitsky describes the role as meaningful and a form of atonement.

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Story summary

The California Medical Facility operates a unique hospice program that lets incarcerated individuals care for dying peers, providing companionship and support.
Established in 1993, the facility features a garden that gives inmates a sense of purpose and connection amid an aging prison population.
California now approves about 100 compassionate releases annually.
Pastoral care worker Allan Krenitsky describes the role as meaningful and a form of atonement.