Innovative Prison Hospice Volunteer Conference to Bring Training to Inmate Volunteers NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the approval of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections and Warden Burl Cain, the Louisiana-Mississippi Hospice and Palliative Care Organization will present a four-day prison hospice volunteer conference at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, Louisiana from March 13-16, 2012. For people facing a terminal illness in a correctional facility, prison hospice programs provide a measure of compassion and dignity at the end of life. As with all hospice programs in the U.S., volunteers play an integral part in care delivery. This is no different in prison populations. The hospice program at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola is one of the leading programs in the nation that serves as a model for others. The prison hospice volunteer conference, organized by LMHPCO, will allow additional prison hospice programs to learn the skills and processes that have been carefully developed at Angola. Louisiana currently has inmate hospice volunteer programs operating within five correctional facilities in Louisiana and one inmate hospice volunteer program operating at Mississippi State Prison in Parchman, Mississippi. Approximately 130 inmates from various state correctional facilities will participate in the hospice conference at Angola, including those from B.B. Rayburn Correctional Center (Angie, LA); Dixon Correctional Institute (Jackson, LA); Elayn Hunt Correctional Center (St Gabriel, LA); and Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (St Gabriel, LA). Nationally recognized experts in hospice care and corrections programs who will present at the conference include: Ira Byock, MD; The Rev. Dr. Kathleen Rusnak, Ph.D.; Dr. Linda Redford, RN, Ph.D.; and Carol McAdoo. These plenary speakers have waived their customary speaking fees. There will be three session tracks offered that will be geared for beginning hospice volunteers, an advanced track for experienced volunteers, and a professional development session track for facility staff. LMHPCO will provide continuing education credits for physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains who are attending the conference. Contact: Jamey Boudreaux LMHPCO Executive Director Toll free: 888-546-1500 Ph: 504-945-2414 jboudreaux@LMHPCO.org www.LMHPCO.org The Louisiana-Mississippi Hospice and Palliative Care Organization exists to ensure the continued development of hospice and palliative care services in Louisiana and Mississippi. SOURCE Louisiana-Mississippi Hospice and Palliative Care Organization