Searching for Compassion in Compassionate Release: Protecting the Health of People Experiencing Incarceration

Compassionate release - the release of incarcerated people with medical conditions from
prisons and jails - is a widely underutilized mechanism. Releasing people with medical
conditions from carceral settings can protect individuals’ health - especially during crises such as
the COVID-19 pandemic - and can help promote the health of all people experiencing
incarceration by reducing overcrowding. More literature is needed to understand the barriers and
facilitators to compassionate release to encourage its utilization. The first section of this thesis is
a scoping review that maps existing literature on compassionate release to Bronfenbrenner’s
Ecological Systems Theory to understand key recommendations for improving compassionate
release and where there are gaps in the literature. Findings from this review demonstrate key
recommendations such as establishing greater transparency in the application process, ensuring
accessibility of applications based on literacy levels, and establishing medical-legal partnerships.
Identified gaps for future research include understanding racial disparities in compassionate
release as well as understanding perspectives of caregivers of previously incarcerated
individuals. The second section of this thesis presents a survey study on perceptions towards
compassionate release from jail staff in California during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results
highlight that not all jails in California use compassionate release widely and compassionate
release remains inaccessible for people such as those with respiratory illnesses and people
convicted of violent crimes. Engaging carceral staff using evidence-based recommendations is
crucial in expanding compassionate release. Implementing these recommendations and
researching identified gaps can inform policy and practice to promote the health of people
experiencing incarceration.