Can a 70 year old diabetic with recently amputated limb harm anybody? That is the question that came to my mind when I thought about all the state money Texas spends caring for the elderly and sick inmates. Out of 160,000 offender prison population 8,526 are “geriatric” inmates, 55 and older. These inmates have average annual hospitalization cost of $4,700, compare to $765 for inmates under 55. When we add these numbers, the Texas correctional health care system face nearly half a billion dollar a year cost. Like many other governmental institute, this health care system is facing a budget shortfall, even after hundreds of employee layoffs. Knowing all these facts, makes me wonder why can’t there be more inmate release on medical parole?
There is a routine process where the prison doctors recommend the oldest and the sickest of the inmates for a medical parole to the State Parole Board. Over the past decade 4,000 have been offered up, but only a quarter of those inmates were released on medical parole. The rest of those terminally ill or old inmates who only have a couple of month to live die in prison on the taxpayer dime. Why can’t they go back to society, spend their last couple of month of their lives with their loved ones?
The state could actually benefit from this! I am not suggesting releasing anybody who got flu, but I’m talking about those who are “too incapacitated to be a public threat.” It is true that the Texas total prison population is not growing fast, on the other hand that population is aging quickly. With the rising health care cost, the 6 percent rise of geriatric inmates looks frightening.
It might not be the only answer, but increasing the number of release on medical parole can me a logical answer.
For the most part I agree with your point of view on this manner and I believe that the economic status of the state will improve. If an inmate is too sick to take care of himself, then what is the point of prison if the inmate poses no threat to society? This only increases the costs to run the prison and we as tax payers are the ones who suffer the most. I believe that these elderly and ill inmates can be sent home to their families under parole and if they do anything wrong then the state will surely have no trouble placing them back in prison. If someone has been incarcerated since they were 21 years old and is now elderly and sick, doesn’t the state think that serving a whole life sentence is just too extreme? However I do believe that if someone is not under any life threatening issues than they should not be granted this parole because they might just do something unpredictable that might endanger others.
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