...Parole for the Elderly Tynesha Wilson CJHS 430 November 17, 2014 Christopher Abreu Parole for the Elderly There are many arguments for and against confining the sick and elderly adults in jail. Some of the arguments include but are not limited to the cost to house these inmates (elderly and sick), monies used to house these inmates could be used to fund other programs, where will these inmates go once they are released, the reduction of overcrowding in the prison system, may increase crime and the homeless population, etc. Should the elderly be released just because a large amount of money is spent just to house them or should those elderly inmates remain incarcerated because they did the crime and should have to do the crime? Elderly inmates cost up to three times more than the average prisoner, primarily because of their greater medical needs. It is estimated that the Department of Corrections will spend over $900 million on medical expenses in this year alone due in part to the number of elderly inmates housed within the prison system (Beiser, 2003). The more money spent to house the elderly in the prison system the more programs that will eventually have to be cut in order to pay to house them. Monies are constantly being taken away from schools, hospitals, and other government funded programs in an effort to continue housing elderly and sick inmates. If the non-violent elderly and sick inmates were released the funds used to pay to house them could be used...
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...Criminal Justice 410 Strayer University Plan To Improve Correctional Facilities Professor Douglas Brinkley Donna M. Davis July 30, 2012 Prisons in America face many problems today. One such problem is the amount of elderly inmates. Elderly inmates represent the fastest growing segment of the federal and state prisons. The aging inmate population has created new challenges for the American corrections system. The population of aging and elderly prisoners in the United States prisons exploded over the past three decades, with nearly 125,000 inmates aged 55 or older now behind bars, according to a recent report published by the American Civil Liberties Union. This represents an increase of over 1,300 percent since the early 1980s. (Graying in Prison). Some contributing factors to the increase in elderly inmates are, get tough on crime reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, mandatory minimum sentences, three strikes rules and truth in sentence laws established in recent decades are keeping more offenders in prison for longer periods of time. Inmates are living longer and this also contributes to prison overcrowding. (Elderly Prisoners, 2012). In passing some of these laws, such as the three strikes laws, the courts and the Criminal Justice System did not think about the aging inmates and the problems that go with it. As people age, generally they develop health problems and within the prison system, this is no different. Prisons aren’t geared to the needs...
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...University Professor Spivey CMRJ316 Corrections and Incarceration August 10, 2013 An aging offender or an elderly offender is an individual over the age of 55 who breaks the law or is in prison (Newman). It is also a term that can refer to the concept of an aging prison population or to the unnatural pressures of being incarcerated that accelerate the aging process. Oddly, the number of elderly individuals committing crimes and being sentenced to prison is increasing and that creates problems for the correctional facilities in terms of health care as well as mental and physical issues that the inmates themselves have. Unfortunately, little seems to have changed in the past 30 years regarding elderly inmates. Health care is absolutely a major concern. In many countries including the United States, elderly inmates do not qualify for state funded healthcare. The United States National Institute of Corrections identified that inmates over 60 years old cost three times more than those of a younger age to house in prison. (Aday, 2003) Issues such as chronic health conditions or ailments require constant care as well as continual medication to ease the physical or mental problems. Certain administrative bodies of these institutions claim that medical care for the elderly prisoners is the most costly problem of the aging prison structure. A survey that was conducted of criminals over the age of 55 that were imprisoned for the...
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...includes probation – correctional supervision within the community rather than jail or prison – and parole – a period of conditional, supervised release from prison. However, other types of community corrections, like electric monitoring programs, day report programs, and halfway houses are also coming into effect. These other programs can be a part of probation or even stand alone programs. Probation is one of the largest community corrections, it is a court-ordered period of conditional supervision in the community. In some cases, probation can be a combined sentence of incarceration followed by a period of community supervision. People who violate probation are usually sent to prison (they go through another court date, and the judge decides whether they have to go to prison or a more serious community corrections program). Once set to prison, the person is now an inmate; however, if the inmate is behaving well in prison, they can go before a parole board and be released from prison to serve the remainder of their time on parole. Parole is different from probation. Parole is release from prison under certain specific conditions to serve the remainder of the sentence, it is not court imposed, and the parolee agrees to supervision conditions. Once a person loses their probation, he or she becomes part of the corrections system, the parole board is in the position that grants parole, and sets the rules and circumstances...
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...have abandoned this method because negative reactions from farm organizations, whose members argue that competition from state prisons, were unfair with the free labor from prisoners. Correctional functions prisons provide essential medical, dental, and mental health services. Correction clients may also have access to legal books and or services to aide in their legal research and to prepare legal documents. Some institutions even offer various programs in literacy, parenting skills, adult continuing education and provide library services. In addition to what might be considered the "traditional" institutions, there are many other alternatives that corrections may choose to use. Some of these options include Pre-trial Release, Parole, Probation. Some prisons offer on-the-job-training through institution job assignments. All in all, corrections encompass a large part of our criminal justice system. The inmates are entitled to medical care and attention as needed to treat both short-term conditions and long-term illnesses. The medical care provided must be adequate. Another legal right the offender is entitled to are, right to make phone calls, send mail,...
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...There are many types of special needs inmates that need special treatment in facilities such as, inmates with mental illness, HIV positive and AIDS inmates, and the elderly inmates just to name a few. Those are serious issues that need special attention and treatment. Inmates with Mental Illness According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a mental illness is a condition that impacts a person’s thinking, feeling or mood and may affect his or her ability to relate to others and function on a daily basis. In a mental health crisis, people are more likely to encounter police than get medical help. As a result, 2 million people with mental illness are booked into jails each year. Nearly 15% of men and 30% of women booked into jails have a serious mental health condition. Each person will have a different experience, even people with the same diagnosis. Several men and women can’t get treatment for their...
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...in my perspective is the elderly in prison. As the years pass by higher sentences are being imposed, criminals are now serving more years for crimes. By criminals facing more years they are obligated to age old in prison. Many of whom are the lifers; the individuals who are sentenced to life to learn from a mistake they made. But until what age is the appropriate age to determine one has learned from their mistake and corrected themselves in prison, perhaps never. Prison Population Elderly play a big roll pertaining with prison population. Taking up space where other criminals who still impose a threat to society. While in the other hand the majority of these elderly criminals no longer impose a threat but rather more are getting older and sicker in prison. Elderly are being kept until they die behind bars. According to Aday (2003) this expanding warehousing of maturing detainees for low-level wrongdoings and more sentences is a loathsome outgrowth of the "tough on crime" and "war on drugs" policies of the 1980s and 1990s. Given the country's present over incarceration pandemic and diligent financial emergency, administrators ought to consider executing parole changes to discharge those elderly detainees who no more...
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...Elderly and in Prison Rhetorical Analysis Countless of elderly people pose little to no risk of committing a crime at this age. Therefore, elderly people currently serving a prison sentence should have it shorten. One editor, a writer of an organizer with Release Aging People in Prison/RAPP, Laura Whitehorn, wrote "Elderly and in Prison," published in January 5th, 2017 in the New York Times, and she disputes that elderly in prison have a diminutive to no risk of committing a new offense. Whitehorn begins to state and build her evidence with facts and statistics over the New York State prison, and successfully employs emotional appeal; in addition, toward the conclusion of her editorial speech, she demonstrates how it is possible and how reasonable it is and even so the government chooses not to do so. In her editorial speech, Whitehorn first sets her argument by describing how elderly are not a considerable threat and she thoroughly explains and backs up the prior Brennan Center for Justice Speech, the original speech, as to how there would be a positive outcome even though there must be an intervenience as she states, "... fewer and shorter prison sentences will surely improve public safety rather than damage it." However, she also examines the proposal as a whole as she says, "But...
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...athletic programs to succeed Genetically altered food should have warning labels Good Samaritan laws are necessary to protect citizens Internet 2 (Internet product enhancements) Juvenile boot camps are safe and effective Juvenile criminals should be treated as adults Libraries should not regulate internet access Mandatory sentencing is unfair and should be abolished Parental violence in youth sports should be controlled Prayer in the public schools should be encouraged Prescription drugs cost too much Recycling sewage sludge into compost is a health hazard Student athletes should be tested for drugs Suburban sprawl threatens America's wildlife Television violence causes societal violence Therapeutic use of pets can help elderly patients Tobacco advertising should be regulated V-chip will not protect children from television violence Vaccines are safe and effective Violence in mass media increases negative behavior in children Violence in motion pictures does not affect...
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...In the U.S. there is an overcrowding of inmates in our prisons and part of that reason results from the lack of probation and proper treatments. The biggest percentage of the prison population lies with the drug addicted and mentally ill/elderly. To fix this issue we can go about it in a few different ways, in the end it will take a variety of angles and time to eradicate the issue all together. The central theme of this issue begins when we first understand that in order to fix this issue changes will need to be made. As of right now the prisons are overpopulated by 30 to 40 percent and this is largely due to the length of sentencing and the overlook of the prisoners care. To begin, there needs to be a faster release of criminals. To achieve this, the prisoners that would serve life sentences and have reached the age where it is impossible for them to do harm can be released...
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...country’s| |states, and the effectiveness of these laws. | In 1992, shortly following the murder of his 18-year-old daughter, Kimber, Fresno photographer Mike Reynolds drafted a law that would impose mandatory sentences for repeat offenders. It was proposed as both a legislative measure and a ballot initiative, but neither made much headway at first. According to Reynolds, legislatures “laughed it off” when he first brought up the measure to them. Then, in October of 1993, 12-year-old Polly Klaas was kidnapped, molested, and murdered by Richard Allen Davis, a repeat sex offender with a long record of criminal convictions. He was on parole at the time. Polly’s father, Marc, hit the national television circuit and campaigned for passage of harsher...
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...The long continuing debate of whether the current criminal justice system is 'about as fair and effective as we can reasonably expect' has been addressed in this essay. It is argued throughout this essay that the criminal justice system fails to meet with the protection and well being of the public by not appropriately processing offenders. Six main arguments of this essay highlight weaknesses within the system. The first argument of this essay exposes the time in which offenders spend in remand prior to their trial. The second, debates whether bail over remand is being used appropriately. The third shows how lenient judges sentencing decisions are, and in addition to this, the fourth argument shows what effect the media has on the courts decisions. Then finally the fifth researches the rate of offenders re-offending. This essay concludes that the criminal justice system is not using it's ability to the fullest to stop these offenders from re-offending within our community. The first argument in the weaknesses of the criminal justice system addresses the time an offender spends in remand, in the wait of their trial date. The length remandees are spending in custody is far too extensive, and more action needs to be done to trounce this problem within our system. When a person is placed in remand it is believed the main factors are; so that they actually show up for their hearing, to protect witnesses, or anyone else if they re-offend, and in some cases the accused themselves need...
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...some low-level offenders that have had stiffer sentences than others simply because of their color of their skin. Last year the United States spent 68 billion dollars on incarcerating drug traffickers, and low-level offenders. (Global Commission on Drugs) (2011) In 1972, there were an estimated 300,000 people incarcerated compared to 2.3 million today. (Global Commission on Drugs) (2011) I started the research trying to limit the topic to drug cartels’, but it was too much information, and I found myself being overwhelmed with all of it. I then changed my focus to the social, ethical, and political side of the coin, because I found it to be more intriguing and much more important. I will show you how drug dealers are recruiting elderly people, and children to carry their drugs across borders with the promise of big money. Many countries have employed the rhetoric of war to combat the drug trade. There are countries where violent kingpins have created large militias. The sensational appetite that America has developed for drugs has triggered trafficking charges that impose lengthy prison...
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...system face these dilemmas just as much as any other job. Even though they are obliged to follow a strict set of rules and guidelines everyday. In their daily jobs whether they are making an arrest, prosecuting a case, or running a prison they are faced with decisions that may put their ethics/morals into question. In these decisions they must first decide on what is the right thing to do and if the right thing to do is within their code of ethics. However they also need to look into what their options are if they go with the opposite decision. Looking at four different case studies I will analyze the moral/ethical dilemma, their options, the best solution, and why the best solution is ethically the correct one. Parole Board Robert, who is chair of the parole board, first needs to access the types of criminals that are being housed in his prison. At first glance of reviewing his prison’s “risk assessment” he doesn’t like what he sees. Within his conscience he believes that the risk assessment is too high and too many prisons are likely to reoffend causing the recidivism rate to increase. However knowing that if he doesn’t come up with a solution then they will soon take the decision out of his hands. In order to make sure that he maintains his morals as well as the morals of the prison he needs to come up with a solution of his own. All of the inmates that are currently serving in his prison have been convicted of a felony and usually have at least a year plus of time to...
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...Asharin 1 Asharin, Justin 4/12/10 Gardner Philosophy Why Capital Punishment Works: Concepts of An Ideal Model Throughout the history of capital punishment, there have always been many criticisms of the penalty questioning everything from racial motivations to give the penalty, to why or why not juveniles should be exempt from the penalty, to the economic efficiency of it. Economically, many believe that the death penalty is a too long and drawn out process, and that giving life in prison is a more efficient process, and saves tax-payer money. In terms of discrimination, there has always been a subliminal sense against certain groups; with those being minorities and juveniles. The death penalty is supposed to only be given as a punishment based on the nature of a crime. However, certain statutes such as the minimum age law for the death penalty attempt to prevent true justice. If a juvenile is deemed competent, and their crime is heinous enough to incur the death penalty, then there is no reason as to why they should not be given it. As for minorities, there have always been questions as to why the majority of inmates on death row are African American. Although racism seems to be the easy answer, it is clear that the true reason is because many African Americans live in higher poverty areas were crime is rampant, thus making them more susceptible to committing heinous crimes. The death penalty should defend certain peoples, and should be used more often against...
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