Dying Iowa inmate released from prison to hospice

DES MOINES (AP) ? A dying Iowa inmate sentenced to life in prison when she was a teenager has been released into hospice care.

Iowa Department of Corrections spokesman Fred Scaletta says 33-year-old Kristina Fetters was admitted to a Des Moines hospice Tuesday morning.

Fetters was 15 when she entered prison for a 1995 first-degree murder conviction. The Iowa Parole Board granted her a compassionate release from prison after a judge resentenced her for such eligibility.

A landmark Supreme Court ruling last year said life sentences without parole are unconstitutional for juveniles. A Polk County judge recommended immediate release because Fetters was diagnosed with Stage 4 inoperable breast cancer in September.

The Des Moines Register says Fetters has been assigned a parole officer who will monitor her condition and report to the board.