Originally published July 27, 2020. Statements about the law were updated in October 2026; the box below gives today’s rules.
Former Massachusetts House Speaker Sal DiMasi won compassionate release after getting cancer in federal prison. In his first interview since his release, he said the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) treats sick people in prison in ways that are inhumane, and he wants that to change.
“Inhumane” health care in BOP prisons
Sal DiMasi is now speaking out about how the BOP handles health care for people in prison. The former Massachusetts Speaker of the House is out on compassionate release, but he had to fight hard for it. Now he wants to raise awareness of the poor health care and inhumane treatment he and others faced.
After only a year in prison, Mr. DiMasi got a frightening diagnosis. Doctors found cancer on his tongue and in his lymph nodes. Cancer treatment options in prison were limited, so he began asking the BOP for a medical release.
His wife and legal team spent years fighting for his compassionate release so he could get proper treatment outside prison. He also spent a lot of time helping others with their own requests for early release.
His fight for release
“I was frankly disgusted by the ways the Bureau of Prisons was refusing them and obfuscating the process,” DiMasi told WGBH News. While he was still fighting for a medical release, he was diagnosed with a third cancer, this time in his prostate. In 2016, he was finally granted compassionate release.
Even with money, resources and influence, Mr. DiMasi struggled for years before he was freed. Most people in prison have none of those advantages.
“It shouldn’t just be for me,” DiMasi said of his release. He is now in remission, which he believes happened only because he got medical care outside prison. Now he wants to see the BOP’s health care policies change. He talked about his fear of dying in prison, a fear many others there shared.
“I can give you examples of the inhumane and cruel treatment that was in prison for lack of medical care–people dying every single day,” DiMasi said. “You have no idea what it was like seeing people drop off like flies. Every other day, someone in my unit would die and they would do nothing about it.”
He called the BOP “a rogue agency” that must update its health care policies.
Next steps for your family
Federal compassionate release can be hard to navigate, and the First Step Act has not made the process any less daunting.
If you or a loved one is thinking about applying for compassionate release, a lawyer can help you check whether you qualify. Criminal Center handles federal compassionate release requests and can help with the whole process.
If you want help with a compassionate release request, book a consultation.
Src: www.wgbh.org, “Sal DiMasi Pushes for Wider Compassionate Release in First Interview Since He Went to Prison,” Eliza Dewey and Courtney Kennedy, 12/5/18