Life without parole

In My Humble Opinion
1

US prisons are stuffed to the rafters. Among the many prisoners are people serving life sentences without parole, i.e., they are sentenced to die in prison.

I wonder if anyone has thought this through. In several decades, the prisons are going to have to have wings which are essentially nursing homes. Imagine how bizzare that will be. There will be men in their eighties and nineties whose crimes occured so long ago noone will remember them. There may even be a centenarian or two!

What will happen? Do you think that these people will eventually be released if only to save the state money. After all, if they were on the outside, Medicare would probably pay for nursing care, but it would cost enormous amounts to keep them in prison in the geriatric wing of prisons where prison guards are paid 60k a year (in California) in current dollars.

What are your thoughts on this situation?

2

As a physician who takes care of inmates full time (for a whole two weeks now), I just want to say that it is incredibly expensive to provide end-of-life care for this population. Our local taxpaying population is outraged at the costs. But the courts have mandated that inmates have the right to the same medical care that the general population has, at taxpayer expense. “Life means life” and truth in sentencing laws cost a large amount of money.

3

well, in the first place, it’s not quite true that ‘no one’s thought this through’. I know a guy who was on a sentencing commission here in Michigan, and that was one of the very things they were concerned about.

It’s already happening, there are prisons specifically for the extremely aged and infirm.

I got a letter last week from a prisoner, looking for assistance with housing and employment. He’s 60 now. From what I could see of his record, he was in VietNam, and has been in and out of prison since the 80’ s (mostly in). he’s in a wheelchair (unclear if it’s service related - yes, I’m on that- or if it’s a permanent or temporary condition).

While I agree that the level of risk isn’t necessarily the same for some one in their 20’s and healthy, I disagree that all of them should be considered ‘safe’ to be released. Singleton, who chopped off a little girls’ arms after raping her and leaving her to die (she survived), after he finally was released from prison, went on to commit another murder in Florida (I believe that earned him a death sentence).

And, in some cases, it’s almost cruel to put 'em out - they’ve spent 20 - 40 years in a situation where absolutely every detail of their life was managed for them (from what they’d eat to what detergent they’d use, where they lived, worked, doctors appointments etc.) and then they’ll be in a situation where they’ve got few resources, perhaps little or no applicable job skills, haven’t had to cross a street or buy their own groceries in years, but now have to figure out how to afford to live.

(I’m not trying to drum up sympathy for them, just some of the realities involved).

It’s going to be a serious drain on the prison resources as well, in terms of health care costs.

4

I don’t see what the money saving option would be here. I’m sure that security is no more expensive for infirm prisoners than for healthy ones, and, incarceration aside, I don’t see why it would be more expensive to care for these people within prison than it would outside. If these patients were parolled, they would still need medical care, and they certainly have had no chance to save for their retirement. Any solution would just be robbing Peter to pay Paul.

That having been said, I think that this problem should give pause to those who advocate mandatory life sentences for all third strikes and drug offenses.

5

Outside prison they conveniently fall thru the cracks, and miss their expensive routine care as they die in flop houses and in the basement of family members. What care they get is often written off by private corporations, as they know they’ll never get paid for it. In prison, the cracks are tougher to fall thru. And their costs come right out of the health budget, provided by the taxpayers.

And yes, I know the argument can be made that society pays for their care in both cases, but in the case of incarceration, it’s right there, visible on the bottom line.

6

absolutely, excellent points. IN addition, inside the prison, the sequence is (usually, In Michigan, where I know how it goes), inmate feels crappy, or needs refill on meds. Inmate fills out a ‘kite’ (paper request) to see doctor. The appointment is made, the arrangements are made to transport him (most are male), and all they had to do was fill out a slip of paper and hand it in.

Outside in the real world, they have to find a doctor in the first place, call to schedule an appointment, make their own arrangements to get there and back. Add to this that not all doctors will accept a new patient w/o insurance, and you can begin to see how/why they may ‘fall through the cracks’.

7

I was on a jury that sent a young man to jail for life, no chance of parole. I wonder what is the purpose in keeping him alive. I have a problem with killing as punishment for killing, it seems hypocritical. But are we using life in prison to make ourselves feel better about these people- we won’t kill them, we will put them away for the rest of their life? Isn’t life in jail the same as death? Should a society keep the Mansons and Dalhmers around or can we really say in the interest of civilization that we will dispose of them?

8

I was thinking about this exact thing myself yesterday, and ended up being taken completely on a new train of thought…

Most scifis show futuristic prisons as ‘prison planets’ or some form of mental rehabilitation. Without going too far into this - would it be feasible for those who are convicted of violent offense to volunteer for terraforming/colonization duty? (Keep in mind, I’m thinking ‘future’). Barring any serious mental abberancies, I see no reason that a criminal might not prefer to live a somewhat riskier life building new civilization in extraterrestrial areas. There would also essentially be no place to run to, once they were shipped where they needed to go (possibly under mandated sedation for security purposes - don’t want cons freaking out in a multibillion dollar space transport)

You thought a life of crime was the edge? Here’s the edge, baby, you’re going to Mars!