SPRINGFIELD — After an incarcerated man named Eddie Thomas died alone in a prison infirmary without receiving any end-of-life care, State Senator Adriane Johnson is championing legislation to bring dignity, compassion, and transparency to hospice and palliative care services in Illinois correctional facilities.

“This bill is about basic human dignity,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “No one should die in pain, in isolation or without the comfort of care — no matter who they are or where they live. House Bill 2397 brings transparency to a system that too often leaves people to suffer silently.”

Hospice and palliative care programs are designed to relieve suffering, manage symptoms and honor the values of individuals facing serious or terminal illness. Yet, of the more than 1,500 state prisons across the country, fewer than 5% offer any hospice care at all.

House Bill 2397 would require the Illinois Department of Corrections to prepare and publish an annual report detailing its hospice and palliative care programs. The bill aims to provide lawmakers with data that can guide future policy decisions on compassionate and medically appropriate end-of-life care for people incarcerated in Illinois. 

Illinois is not alone in confronting this growing concern. Nationally, more than two million people are incarcerated — many of them aging or facing serious illness. Between 1991 and 2023, the percentage of incarcerated individuals aged 55 and older grew from 3% to 15%. In Illinois, approximately 1,000 people over 55 are serving long-term sentences, yet end-of-life care within prison systems remains severely limited.

“Access to palliative and hospice care should not be determined by whether someone is incarcerated,” said Johnson. “This report will shine a light on the conditions inside our correctional system and help us craft policies that uphold justice — not just in sentencing, but in how we treat people through every stage of life, including the final one.”

House Bill 2397 passed the Senate Thursday.