In the Prison Journalism Project article “The Long Walk Back to My Cell After Watching My Friend Die,” George Thornock brings awareness to hospice work in Idaho prisons.
Thornock is one of my closest, most trusted friends in prison. I remember finding him hours after the events in the article took place, attempting to process the experience by typing it up in the computer lab. It may have been the only time in the last decade that we’ve visited without us both laughing. He told me it was important to make clear that he has always respected and appreciated the staff member involved. But in the moment, the divide between them, supported by protocols, damaged him deep in the soul.