From The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Some people incarcerated in Pennsylvania state prisons are as far as one could imagine from being a threat to society. They can barely take care of themselves, let alone hurt others — and some are terminally ill. The need to care for these people is so great that last year, the Department of Corrections announced a new unit, a first of its kind, specifically to treat those who are imprisoned and suffer from dementia. The unit is in addition to existing long-term care beds, which also provide hospice care.
What does Pennsylvania gain from incarcerating a person with dementia? The obvious answer is nothing. But broken laws, harsh sentences, and a lack of political will mean that there is no way out of prison, no matter how ill or frail one becomes.
The Pennsylvania state prison population is getting older. The Department of Corrections defines an “elderly inmate” as being over 50. A decade ago, this age group accounted for roughly 10% of those in state prisons; now it is 27%. Among those roughly 10,000 individuals who are designated “elderly” behind bars, nearly 2,000 are over age 55 and have already served at least 25 years — and the vast majority are serving life without the possibility of parole. It will take something close to a miracle for them to die anywhere else but in prison. Continue reading >>>
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