End-of-life care and barriers for female inmates.

The number of female inmates is growing, and their average age is increasing. As a result, end-of-life care is situated in a highly restrictive environment with a focus on security rather than comfort. We describe the need for and potential barriers to humane care and provide care strategies that can be useful in a complex organizational system. Frontline workers such as nurses who understand the balance between care and control must promote change in the women's prison system.