Hospice in Prison Part 2: An interview with the Pastoral Care Workers

06/29/23 • 46 min

GeriPal - A Geriatrics and Palliative Care Podcast

I don't know 'bout religion I only know what I see And in the end when I hold their hand It's both of us set free

These are the ending lyrics to Bonnie Raitt’s song “Down the Hall”, an ode to the Pastoral Care Workers who care for their fellow inmates in the hospice unit at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California. On last week’s podcast we interviewed the medical director and the chaplain of the prison’s hospice unit (Hospice in Prison Part 1). This week we turn our attention to the inmates.

Pastoral Care Workers are inmates who volunteer time to care for the dying who come from all around California to spend their last days, weeks or months in the prison’s hospice unit, fulfilling a mission that “no prisoner dies alone.”

On today's podcast we talk with three of these Pastoral Care Workers, Jerry Judson, Jeffrey Maria, and Allan Krenitzky. We discuss with them why they decided to volunteer for the hospice unit, what a day in the life of a Pastoral Care Worker looks like, and among other things their thoughts on forgiveness, redemption, rehabilitation, and compassionate release.

We also had the pleasure to take a walk through the hospice unit garden with Mr. Gerald Hite. He taught us a little about the different flowers and plants, and along the way a little about why he does what he does.

While this is a podcast about volunteers in a prison hospice, I think it also serves as a lesson for us all about how we make meaning to our own lives and define ourselves by not only what we have done in the past, but what we do now. One story that Allan told perfectly sums this up. He said one day his son asked his wife what he does for a living, and his wife said “Papa helps sick people.”

I don't know 'bout religion I only know what I see And in the end when I hold their hand It's both of us set free

Previous Episode

Hospice in Prison Part 1: An interview with Michele DiTomas and Keith Knauf

In the early 1990’s, California Medical Facility (CMF) created one of the nation’s first licensed hospice units inside a prison. This 17-bed unit serves inmates from all over the state who are approaching the end of their lives. A few are let out early on compassionate release. Many are there until they die.

Today’s podcast is part one of a two-part podcast where we spend a day at CMF, a medium security prison located about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento, and the hospice unit housed inside its walls.

We start off part one by interviewing Michele DiTomas, who has been the longstanding Medical Director of the Hospice unit and currently is also the Chief Medical Executive for the Palliative care Initiative with the California Correctional Healthcare Services. We talk about the history of the hospice unit, including how it was initially set up to care for young men dying of AIDS, but now cares for a very different demographic – the rapidly aging prison population. We also talk about the eligibility for the unit, what makes it run including the interdisciplinary team and the inmate peer workers, and the topic of compassionate release.

Afterwards, we chat with the prison’s chaplain, Keith Knauf. Keith per many reports, is the heart and sole of the hospice unit and oversees the Pastoral Care Workers. These are inmates that volunteer to work in the hospice unit, serving a mission that “no prisoner dies alone.” We chat with Keith about how hospice in prison is different and similar to community hospice work, the selection process and role of the peer support workers, the role of forgiveness and spirituality in the care of dying inmates, and what makes this work both rewarding and hard.

Part two of the podcast, which comes next week, is solely focused on the Pastoral Care Workers. We interview three of them in the hospice unit and take a little tour of the hospice gardens.

Next Episode

How State and Local Agencies on Aging Help Older Adults: A Podcast with Susan DeMarois, Greg Olsen, and Lindsey Yourman

You may have heard of Area Agencies on Aging, but do you really know what they do or how they do it? What about State Departments of Aging or state master plans for aging? Do you know how these agencies fit in with programs like Meals-on-Wheels or other nutritional support programs? Is your brain hurting yet with all these questions? No? Ok, what about Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) services?

Well, if you are like me, you’ve probably heard of these programs but are at a loss to know exactly what they do. On today's podcast we dive deep into how state and local governments are addressing the needs of older adults, answering all of these questions and more thanks to our three amazing guests: Susan DeMarois (the Director of California Department of Aging), Greg Olsen (the Director of the New York State Office for the Aging), and Lindsey Yourman (the Chief Geriatric Officer for the County of San Diego).

It’s a fun podcast with our guest bringing in a ton of knowledge and passion for the work that they do. If there is one take-away from the podcast, it is something Dr. Yourman emailed me after we met:

“My hope is that every geriatrics clinician/Geriatrics Department/Division that listens to our podcast will be motivated to reach out to their Area Agency on Aging (if they haven't done so previously) to ask for a meet and greet and to learn about their resources, services, and recommended community-based organizations for older people.”

To learn more about what we talked about, check out the following links: