31 December 2024
Calls for Reform as Terminally Ill Prisoners Die Shackled to Hospital Beds
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Australia's ageing prison population has sparked debate over the treatment of terminally ill prisoners, with many dying while shackled to hospital beds. Experts like St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne's palliative medicine chair, Jennifer Philip, have criticised this practice, citing emotional and physical distress for both prisoners and their families.
Cases like that of Mati Tamwoy, an Indigenous prisoner in Darwin, have drawn public attention. Tamwoy, dying from blood cancer, was restrained during hospital visits despite being classified as low security. Similarly, a South Australian prisoner was cuffed for three weeks until an hour before his death.
While some argue shackling maintains public safety, clinicians and advocates suggest more compassionate approaches. Secure palliative units, like those at Melbourne's St Vincent's, eliminate the need for restraints. Calls for national reform continue.
Source |
ABC News Australia
ABC Radio Australia
