Men and women over 65 are the most rapidly growing age group in American prisons, with many corrections officials hard-pressed to provide the aging inmates appropriate housing and medical care.
A recent Human Rights Watch study found that the number of state and federal prisoners age 65 or older grew at about 94 times the rate of the overall prison population between 2007 and 2010. Sentenced prisoners age 55 or older grew at six times the rate of the overall prison population between 1995 and 2010. The reasons include longer sentences that reflect “tough-on-crime” attitudes.
State and federal prisons now hold about 26,200 people 65 years and older, and about 124,000 inmates older than 55, the report said.
With many older prisoners remaining behind bars despite being too old and infirm to pose a threat to the public if released, the study indicated, some prisons will soon resemble nursing homes unless sentencing and parole policies change.
Because of their higher rates of illness and impairments, older prisoners incur medical costs that are three to nine times as high as those incurred by younger inmates, the study said.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The 104-page report, “Old Behind Bars: The Aging Prison Population in the United States,” included data Human Rights Watch developed documenting the number of older U.S. prisoners.
Arkansas’ overall inmate population on Wednesday stood at 15,102, including prisoners backed up in county jails awaiting a prison bed and Act 309 inmates serving their sentences in county facilities. The inmate population over age 55 totaled 1,263.
Because Arkansas contracts out medical services, “our cost per day is calculated on the average daily census – regardless of age,” said Shay Wilson, Arkansas Department of Correction spokesman. “We all ‘think’ there are higher medical costs for older inmates, but ADC pays the same monthly rate per inmate to our medical provider regardless of age and medical condition.
“Our annual medical cost is $57 million: Per month per inmate, $333.73, and (Act) 309s, $113.89 per month per inmate.”
“Prisons were never designed to be geriatric facilities,” said Jamie Fellner, senior adviser to the U.S. Program at Human Rights Watch and author of the report. “Yet U.S. corrections officials now operate old age homes behind bars.”
Human Rights Watch visited nine states and 20 prisons to interview prison officials, corrections and gerontology experts, and prisoners. Human Rights Watch said it found correctional officials scrambling to respond to the needs and vulnerabilities of older prisoners.
However, those officials are constrained, budgets, prison architecture not designed for common age-related disabilities, limited on-site medical facilities and staff, lack of planning for older inmates, lack of support from elected officials, and the press of day-to-day operations, the report said.
Serving time in prison poses challenges for the growing number of older prisoners who are often frail, have mobility, hearing, and vision impairments, and suffer chronic, disabling, and terminal illnesses or diminishing cognitive capacities, Human Rights Watch said.
Wilson said the ADC is “working with our state (Department of Human Services) to get eligible inmates covered in the state plan for Medicaid coverage. Other states have been successful — if an inmate is ‘eligible’ for Medicaid and has an ‘outside’ stay in a hospital (out of prison), then Medicaid picks up most of the costs (and Medicaid rates apply), and we would only have to pay the ‘match’ which is approximately 25 percent.”
The study indicated prison inmates are not eligible for Medicaid and Medicare benefits.
Age should not be a get-out-of-jail-free card, but when prisoners are so old and infirm that they don’t pose a threat to public safety, can’t we find more cost-effective solutions? It will cost the taxpayers more to pay for proper care for them behind bars.”