A dying World War II veteran gets hospice care inside a maximum-security prison. His caregivers? Convicted murderers and kidnappers serving life without parole.
Trailer for “Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- Jack Hall was a decorated World War II combat veteran and former prisoner of war who later received a life sentence after killing his son’s drug dealer.
- The hospice program inside Iowa State Penitentiary is staffed by inmates serving life sentences. They volunteer to feed, bathe, comfort, and sit with dying prisoners around the clock under the direction of a hospice nurse.
- Director Edgar Barens spent six months filming inside the prison. He captured Hall’s decline from COPD, PTSD, and decades of alcoholism.
Watch “Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall”
You can watch “Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall” on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. See the latest streaming options on JustWatch.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 90/100
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 91/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: Edgar Barens directed this Oscar-nominated, 40-minute documentary using a cinéma vérité style. He lets events unfold with almost no narration.
Release Date: 2013
Other Unique Stuff
- The doc was nominated for the 2014 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject.
- The short runtime makes it even more effective. It does not stop for long explanations or debates about the prison system. It stays close to Hall, his caregivers, and the daily work of helping someone die with dignity.
Wrap Up:
“Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall” is about dignity, forgiveness, and the unexpected places where compassion can still exist.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc