The Justice Imperative: The Staggering Cost of Mass Incarceration
In 2013, an 86-year old male prisoner — having served forty years for felonies committed in the 1970s that were serious but did not result in any deaths — came before the parole board. By 2013, he was confined to a wheelchair. He suffered from a neuromuscular disorder, asthma, high blood pressure and cancer. Prison officers had vouched for him as a peacemaker and protector of vulnerable prison mates. He had a place to live outside prison. People on the outside were prepared to support and care for him upon release. Yet, he was denied parole based on a “probability” he would reoffend and his release would “undermine respect for the law.” As a consequence, he remained in the medical wing of a prison in upstate New York, at a mind-numbing cost to taxpayers [estimated at up to $200,000
See More: Please go to Chapter Three in “The Justice Imperative”