Incarcerating Older Prisoners Essay

The economic challenges of incarcerating older prisoners are mind bottling. The estimated cost per year to detain an offender age 50 and older is $68,270. It is the after mass effects of mandatory sentencing laws, three-strike laws, and truth-in-sentencing laws. The economic impact of incarcerating prisoners, who are elderly for long periods of time, can be felt. Under the Second Chance Act of 2007, it granted elderly offenders the opportunity to be released from prison with some or no restrictions. For two years a pilot program was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to determine the effectiveness of placing eligible elderly prisoners on home detention for the remainder of their prison terms. This research was conducted under the Second Chance Act

The program imposed an additional $540,631 of costs above what would have been spent to incarcerate these offenders in an institutional facility. Specifically, the Bureau of Prison compared the daily minimal cost to house an offender in a minimum-or-low-security facility. It estimated a cost of $20.08 and $24.32 per day. The program also factored the average cost paid per day to the private companies contracted to monitor offenders while on home detention. The cost ranged from $34.86 to $47.76 per day. Consequently, by the year 2030, the Bureau of Prison will find themselves in an economic crisis and responsible for elderly prisoners. It is estimated that in 2030, 33 percent of the inmate population is projected to be elderly. However, the advantages of granting elderly offender early release have certain advantages. The federal government could save taxpayer money by reforming its elderly release program. By allowing an early release of aging offenders who pose no substantial public safety threat can be costly. For instance, by encouraging the Bureau of Prison to expand the use of its compassionate release policy can eliminate one of the biggest health care problems facing