The Old and The Ill | Prison Reform Movement

Today more than ever, inmates are growing old and dying in prison – and costing the state several millions of dollars. The most expensive California prisoners have medical bills ranging from $100,000 to $2.5 million each, according to the federally appointed receiver who oversees the state’s prison health care. A federal receiver was appointed to run the system after California was declared incapable of providing adequate heath care to its inmates as the result of a 2001 lawsuit.

The average 55-year-old inmate has the health of someone 10 years older because of substance abuse or poor health before incarceration and the hardships of prison life. Aging inmates cost two to three times more than younger prisoners – on average more than $100,000 per inmate per year, according to a the National Institute of Corrections.

The Old and The Ill | Prison Reform Movement