Death in Prison: increasing transparency on next of kin notification and disposition of remains

Health & Justice
Yoshiko Iwai1, Michael Forrest Behne2,3, Lauren Brinkley‐Rubinstein3
1University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, USA
2Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, USA
3Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA

Tóm tắt

Abstract Background Policies for next-of-kin (NOK) notification and disposition of remains surrounding death are unclear across the United States’ (US) carceral systems. The goal of this study was to collect data on carceral system policies pertaining to NOK notification and disposition of remains for individuals who are incarcerated. We collected publicly available operational policies for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 50 state prison systems, and the Washington D.C. jail for a total of 53 systems. Results Approximately 70% of systems had available policies on NOK notification and disposition of remains. Few systems had information on time constraints for NOK notification, notifying parties or designated contacts person, and ultimate disposition of unclaimed remains. Several systems had no accessible policies. Conclusions Across the US, carceral systems vary in policies for notifying NOK after the death of an incarcerated individual and their processes for the disposition of remains. Carceral and health systems should work towards standardization of policies on communication and disposition of remains after death of an individual who is incarcerated to work towards equity.

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