Dying in Prison: Deaths from Natural Causes in Prison Culture, Regimes and Relationships

This book uses empirical data gathered using ethnographic methods in two contrasting prisons to provide a rare insight into death and dying in prisons in the UK. The majority of deaths in prison custody in England and Wales result from natural causes, yet the experiences of people dying in prison and the impact of these deaths on the wider prison are under-researched areas. It provides a novel insight into the impact of deaths from natural causes on the prison as an institution and challenges existing work juxtaposing occupational philosophies of ‘care’ and ‘control’. It also identifies how end of life care is provided in prisons and the impact this has on culture and relationships shows how deaths from natural causes in prison custody ‘soften’ prison regimes, culture and relationships. It speaks to an international audience by drawing on the global literature including from the US.