SPRINGFIELD — In honor of Eddie Thomas — a man who died alone in a prison infirmary without access to hospice care — State Senator Adriane Johnson led the passage of a new law aimed at bringing dignity, transparency and compassion to end-of-life care within Illinois correctional facilities.

“Eddie’s Law is about ensuring humanity doesn’t stop at the prison gates,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “No one, regardless of their past, should face death alone, in pain or without access to basic care. This law is a step toward a more compassionate and just correctional system.”

House Bill 2397 requires the Illinois Department of Corrections to publish an annual report detailing the availability, scope, and use of hospice and palliative care services in state correctional facilities. The report will serve as a tool to inform lawmakers, advocates and the public about the gaps in care and help drive future reforms to address them.

Hospice and palliative care programs are designed to ease pain and support individuals with serious or terminal illnesses — yet access remains rare in U.S. prisons. Nationally, fewer than 5% of correctional institutions offer formal hospice care. In Illinois, where approximately 1,000 incarcerated individuals are over the age of 55 and serving long-term sentences, the need for compassionate end-of-life services is growing.

“As our prison population ages, we have a moral responsibility to ensure people are not left to suffer in silence,” Johnson said. “This law brings overdue transparency and will guide efforts to provide humane, medically appropriate care — even in the final stages of life.”

House Bill 2397 was signed into law Friday.