Suggested by this story about Woody Harrelson’s father dying in prison http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2007/03/22/charles_harrelson_actors_father_inmate/
When a prisoner dies, what happens to to the body? Is it released to his kin for burial? What if the family refuses to hold a funeral or can’t afford one? Are there cemeteries on prison grounds? Are unclaimed bodies ever given to medical schools?
Well I saw a documentary from Louisiana State Prison a couple of years back, and there they had a cementery. I’m guessing the prison buries those who the family do not claim. As for medical research, I guess the rules are the same as for eveybody else - either personal consent or family consent.
Cemetaries used for unknown/unclaimed remains are typically called ‘potter’s field’.
Soylent Green.
[QUOTE=Sonia Montdore]
Suggested by this story about Woody Harrelson’s father dying in prison The Boston Globe | New England news, weather and sports
When a prisoner dies, what happens to to the body? Is it released to his kin for burial?
[/QUOTE]
The kin have a sort of property right in the deat body. So, yes, the prison must give up the body if the kin want it.
See,http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=nc&vol=appeals98/appeals0616/&invol=massey
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=6th&navby=case&no=950205p
In most cases, they are buried in a potter’s field at public expense.
Some. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05138/506532.stm I think most prisons used to have cemeteries.
Sometimes: http://www.legalaffairs.org/issues/July-August-2002/story_bazelon_julaug2002.msp
Thank you all.
[QUOTE=Sonia Montdore]
… Are unclaimed bodies ever given to medical schools?
[/QUOTE]
For centuries executed prisoners were the only legal source of bodies for dissection for medical schools.