The correctional institutions house numerous inmates across the country. The increase in inmate prison population has caused an overcrowding issue. The number of inmates has risen over the last 25 years. Rules that were set in place had assisted this increase. The three strikes you’re out rule had increased inmate housing because of the guidelines that under this law. “If a person had been convicted of three violent criminal acts they would be staying in prison for life” . This had made a huge impact on the amount of inmates who were serving life sentences.
Since that law had been set in place there has been an increase in prisoners who have become elderly. The prisoners who are elderly in prison make up a huge amount of inmates. There is a rule that states elderly inmates could get an early release but the stipulations are strict. There have not been very many inmates released under this rule.
The administration of prisons faces difficult challenges with the care of aging prisoners. The Bureau of Prisons is not upgraded to fit the elderly prisoners needs. “It is very expensive to house the elderly because of all their medical needs, and care” . The elderly requires more medication than most of the younger generation. With age comes health issues, and more prescriptions to survive. It is the correctional facilities and administrators to ensure the prisoners get sufficient health care and medication if needed. The administration has seen a substantial increase in the amount of medication that is needed for the elderly inmates.
The prisons facilities were not developed adequately with elderly prisoners in mind. The housing institutions were made to hold inmates for a period time and then release them back into society. Now the inmates are facing the golden years and are still incarcerated. This has posed as a severe issue for the facility, and administrators because there is not enough highly trained faculty to handle the special needs of these older aged prisoners. The cost of medication, healthcare and treatment, and trained faculty will suppress the cost of the prisons finances. The facilities will need to figure out how to give the elderly the treatment they need within the range of cost that administration can afford. In a four-year, the Federal Prison System spent over 70 million dollars on health care needs. Most of the finances spent on healthcare were for the older inmates in the prison system.
The chores and tasks the inmates are required to do in prison consist of physical labor. Many of the elderly inmates have a harder time with the physical labor tasks as they age, and their health deteriorates. There are not enough adequate programs and services for the elderly. “Programs are needed to meet the needs and abilities of the older generation of inmates” . The prisons will need to adjust the budget to increase and improve the way elderly prisoners are treated.
The need for elder inmates to travel outside of the prison walls to seek medical treatment. This is increasing expenses in transportation cost, and the cost to hire more guards to accompany the inmates. The administration of these facilities is in great need for vacancies to be filled. The number of prisoners versus the number of staff is not proportioned. The facilities are not equipped with the proper health care faculty to tend to the number of elderly inmates who seek medical attention.
The correctional facilities around the country are facing the increase of older offenders who are in need of more attention. “Any person over the age of 50 is considered elderly in prison . Cost is a huge issue relating to the elderly, and administration will have to adjust to this increase. The facilities are not up to code for handling older individuals and the programs they need. The administration is under-staffed which can put a hold on outside medical care for the elderly inmates.
Reference
Abner, C. (2006). States Face Challenges of an Aging Inmate Population. Graying Prisons, 1-4.
Fellner, J. (2012). The Aging Prison Population in the United States. Human Rights Watch, 1-24.
OIG. (2015, May 15). The Impact of Aging Inmate Population on the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved from Office of Inspector General U.S. Department of Justice: https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2015/e1505.pdf
Schmalleger F. & Smykla, J. (2015). Corrections in the 21st Century (7th ed.). New York NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
