As of today the number of Federal inmates is 154,840 in BOP managed Prisons. According to the United states Department of justice inmates over 50 were the fastest growing Prison population increasing 25% from 2009. The number elderly inmates coming in are not the only problem federal prisons have to deal with they also have to deal with the cost of these elderly inmates which is more than their younger counterparts because of their medical needs.
History
Furthermore, during the past three decades the United States prison population has increased sixfold. Research has found that the growth is not caused by more crime but by policies that send inmates to prison for longer periods of time. One of the consequences of this is the increase of older inmates in prisons. Unless dramatic changes come to sentencing and the parole policies the number of older prisoners could soar over 400,000 by 2030 posing a tremendous threat to state and federal budgets.
Cost
For instance, inmates over 55 are more costly than their younger counter parts because of their increased medical needs and special treatment . It has been said that inmates over 50 spend more than twice as much time at a medical facility and it is also estimated that an elderly inmates suffer from three chronic illnesses The average cost for a prisoner over 50 is 68,000 a year
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Furthermore aging inmates also have lower re-arrest rates than younger inmates. The director of the BOP 'S office of misconduct stated that the cause of this is age because offenders “age-out” of misconduct. These factors play a big role when considering early release because there are programs for inmates that qualify for early release. The must have a chronic or medical conditions related to the aging process or Be experiencing deteriorating mental or physical health and also be 65 or older and have served half of their