Every state is grappling with prisoners aging, since inmate medical costs amount to $3 billion a year. Medical care for inmates over 65 costs $8,500 per year, compared to $950 for younger inmates. In California the rate of prisoners over 60 has soared from 1% in 1996 to 7% in 2016. Reuters visited two California prisons which are considering setting up specific units to care for dementia-stricken inmates.
Watch the following video on prison hospice : California Prison Hospice Cares for Inmates dying of old age: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIpEhgjj5D8
For this week’s discussion answer the following questions:
short answers is fine
- Should elderly inmates be released from incarceration?
- What challenges are faced when they are released early back into society?
- Who should be responsible for the care of the elderly inmates either while staying full prison term or early release?