Are Death Row Inmates Allowed to Attend Funerals?
When someone is sentenced to death, society often assumes their story ends at execution. But death — even state-sanctioned death — does not erase a person’s humanity, or the grief of those left behind. That leads to an emotionally and ethically charged question:Are death row inmates allowed funerals? The answer is yes, but not in […]
Can Maximum, Medium, or Minimum Security Inmates Wear Street Clothes to a Funeral?
When a loved one passes away, especially a sibling, the emotional toll can be overwhelming. For incarcerated individuals, the grief is often intensified by institutional restrictions — including limited funeral access and heavily regulated appearance protocols. One of the most common and heartbreaking questions families ask is: “Can my incarcerated sibling wear street clothes to […]
Supporting Veteran Inmates: The unique Challenges and Solutions
While veterans are often honored for their service, many find themselves facing a starkly different reality after discharge: incarceration. The U.S. has tens of thousands of incarcerated military veterans — many of whom struggle with PTSD, substance use, or traumatic brain injuries that complicate both their transition into civilian life and their time behind bars. […]
Can Inmates Attend Funerals? Rules, Rights, and Alternatives
When a loved one passes away, most people are granted time to grieve, gather with family, and say goodbye. But for incarcerated individuals, even the most basic expressions of grief are often restricted — or entirely denied. This leaves families asking: This guide answers all of those questions, grounded in real correctional policy, inmate rights, […]
Compassionate Release for Funerals
A Dignity Crisis in the Justice System When someone behind bars loses a loved one, the question arises:Can they attend the funeral? The answer, in most cases, is no. Compassionate release for funerals — sometimes called temporary furlough for bereavement — is a rare, restrictive policy used by correctional institutions to allow incarcerated individuals to […]
Grief in Corrections
The Silent Crisis Behind the Walls Grief doesn’t stop at the prison gate. It moves through concrete corridors, weighs heavily in visitation rooms, and lingers in the silence of locked cells. And yet, grief in corrections remains one of the most overlooked, under-addressed issues in the justice system. When someone behind bars loses a loved […]
How DeathTech Is Changing Grief
Grief is as old as humanity itself but the ways we express, process, and honor it are evolving. In the digital age, DeathTech is transforming how we mourn, remember, and connect with those we’ve lost even from behind prison walls. What Is DeathTech? DeathTech refers to emerging technologies that address end-of-life care, memorialization, funeral access, […]
GriefTech and Compassion-as-a-Service
In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, automation, and AI, one question looms large:Can technology make space for compassion? At the intersection of grief, justice, and innovation, a new movement is emerging one that doesn’t just digitize services but humanizes them. It’s called GriefTech and it’s part of a larger paradigm shift toward Compassion-as-a-Service (CaaS). […]
Can Inmates Attend Funerals?
When someone we love dies, most of us get a chance to say goodbye — to gather, grieve, and find closure. But for incarcerated individuals, that moment is often blocked by silence or red tape. So, can inmates attend funerals? The answer isn’t simple. In most cases, it’s no. The Short Answer: Rarely — and […]