December 6, 2021: Dr. Susan Loeb

For our final meeting of the fall semester, we heard from Dr. Susan Loeb. Dr. Loeb is a Nursing professor here at University Park where she also is involved in end-of-life research, specifically with incarcerated individuals. Dr. Loeb started to do research in correction in 2004/2005. And in 2008, she was asked by a colleague to team up in end-of- life research. The reason why we should care about this population is because these individuals matter to someone. They are at risk for predatory abuse, and it is simply a human rights concern. The research has been worked on and refined over the years as more and more incarcerated people are obtaining access to smaller devices. This area of research is specifically interesting as the United States has more people incarcerated per capita. The number of people has been declining but it still is not where it should be. In addition, the disparities between races continues to persist within this population. Research done on this topic and with this population can help us understand it better. The criminal justice system is responsible for many people facing extended prison sentences. There is also a concern for the older population as it can be harder on their bodies physically with the bunk bed dorms, the temperatures, and with the restrictive environment. Almost 20% of people in prison are older than 50 years of age.

Dr. Loeb closes out her presentation by giving suggestions on what students can do if they are interested in this area of research. She suggests that students consider inviting a correctional health administrator from a local state correctional insinuation to a club meeting. Additionally, she suggests exploring opportunities to engage with a correctional institution as an internship, set up an interview with someone in the field, and to get involved with research that is focused on this population in a correctional setting. Thank you, Dr. Loeb, for talking with us and informing us on this population and all the work you and your team have been doing!