What are the challenges of a steadily growing elderly inmate population?

What are the challenges of a steadily growing elderly inmate population?

Older adults in prison often exhibit physical and mental health problems, including dementia, and histories of trauma and chronic stress. Over 3,000 of these men and women will die each year in prison.

Can you be too old for jail?

Crime and punishment has no age limit. There is no guaranteed reprieve for the oldest members of society if they kill, hurt or violate others in the community. They may be frail or sick, but if the justice system rules them able to face a custodial sentence, they may have to live out their final years behind bars.

How has the age of offenders changed?

Between 1993 and 2003, the majority of the growth occurred among prisoners ages 40 to 54, while the number of those age 55 or older increased faster from 2003 to 2013. The changing age structure in the U.S. state prison population has implications for the future management and care of inmates.

What is a geriatric offender?

An aging offender or an elderly offender is an individual over the age of 55 who breaks the law or is in prison. Incarceration also tends to accelerate the aging process.

How does age affect sentencing?

Age tends to be a mitigating factor in cases in which offenders are particularly elderly or young. Due to their advanced or minor age, such offenders typically receive lighter sentences.

Why are prisoners considered a vulnerable population?

Prisoners, individuals involuntarily confined or detained in a penal institution, as a population are considered vulnerable because the constraints of incarceration may affect an individual’s ability to give voluntary, informed consent.

Is age a mitigating factor?

Elderly Offenders. At common law, the fact that an offender is elderly may mitigate sentence. Australian authorities have established that advanced age is a relevant consideration in determining whether a sentence will be crushing.

How is the number of elderly inmates growing?

This number represents a 4,400 percent increase from the elderly prison population in 1981. Each year, the total number of geriatric inmates only seems to go higher and higher. Between 2007 and 2010 alone, the number of federal prisoners older than 65 increased at a 94 percent faster rate than all other prison populations.

What is the recidivism rate for elderly prisoners?

However, the repeat offender rate for elderly parolees is substantially lower than that of younger parolees. A study of 200 elderly prisoners released early from Maryland found a recidivism rate of just 3 percent. In comparison, the national average for all released prisoners is 66 percent.

How much does it cost to care for an elderly person in prison?

Furthermore, studies show that treating an elderly prisoner with a chronic medical condition costs up to two times more than the national average. The average annual cost associated with an incarcerated individual is $34,125. In comparison, the average price for caring for each member of the elderly prison population is $68,270.

What are the benefits of early release for elderly inmates?

With new legislature, more geriatric prisoners could qualify for early release programs. The benefits are twofold. The parolee will not spend the rest of his or her life behind bars, and the public experiences less of a tax burden. Caring for an elderly inmate is expensive with annual costs that could surpass $100,000 per prisoner.