Understanding the Policy Landscape Surrounding Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada’s Federal Prison System
Date
2021-02-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
SAGE Publishing
Abstract
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) has been legal in Canada since 2016, and the implementation of MAiD for people who are incarcerated has raised ethical and procedural concerns. In this paper, we review the current Correctional Services Canada (CSC) guidelines on MAiD alongside a joint report by the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) and the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) on aging and dying in prison. We echo concerns raised by the OCI and the CHRC about the limits of adequate end of life care (EOLC) currently provided to those in custody, and offer our analysis of the procedural guidelines for MAiD in prison, which we argue to be inadequate in support for patient-centered care and equality in access to health care.
Description
This article has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Correctional Health Care.
Keywords
euthanasia, medical assistance in dying, prison, health care, end of life care
Citation
Driftmier, P.& Shaw, J. (in press). Understanding the policy landscape surrounding medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in Canada’s federal prison system. Journal of Correctional Health Care.