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Capturing the world through photography, video and multimedia

Prison hospice: Life and death

Posted By: Marc Martin
Posted On: 1:00 a.m. | November 21, 2011

In March of 2011, prison hospice worker John Paul Madrona began a deathwatch with “the kid,” a 24-year-old thief named Freddy Garcia, who had colon cancer. Garcia, serving nine years for his second felony, had been a gangster. Menacing tattoos covered his shaved head. But he also was fragile, fearful and wanted his mother to hold him.

Garcia reminded Madrona, 35, of the foolish kid he had been when he killed at 18. It didn’t take long for the reminder to magnify his feelings of guilt.

Read day one: Amid ill and dying inmates, a search for redemption

Read day two: In prison hospice, at a loss for the right words

Photo gallery: In prison and dying: Hospice care in a high-security penitentiary

Tags: Our Work :: Video :: California :: News

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2 Comments

February 1, 2012, 4:01 pm

LINK

A truly powerful mix of words, pictures, video, and sound. Bryan Van Der Burg, who obviously spent days, weeks, and months chronicling the last year in Freddy Garcia's life, brings it together full circle. While no one has pity for Freddy's crimes, one can only be moved by this multimedia piece. Getting the access must have been tough. A sure fire sign of a great journalist.

By: liaerial@gmail.coim
May 2, 2012, 4:54 pm

LINK

It is diffiicult for me to feel a great deal of compassion for most of these men who spent their healthy years terrorizing and killing people. These criminals have lived at the expense of the taxpayer and are now being medically cared for by the taxpayer — and there are law abiding citizens who can't even get medical care. Sorry, fellows, you are dying and, if indeed, there is a God, I wonder what He will say to you at your moment of passing. OOOOOH don't think I would want to be you at that time…

By: ivorytn2@gmail

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