Older Prisoners, Sentenced to Life, Could Get Out
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Posted by Maryan Pelland Aug 31, 2006 |
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Canada has a policy of freeing some elderly prisoners to save taxpayers money and the U.S. will emulate that, beginning in Colorado, as early as September 2006. Both programs are called Lifeline.
Recent articles based on an Associated Press story by Scott Rappold say prisoners put away for life may be filtered back into society through halfway houses and minimum security camps. The process takes over a year and involves a lifetime of "supervision"
The growing number of baby boomers in all sectors of society is definitely a factor in prisons. An expensive factor. Patients needing memory assistance, help getting dressed, or ambulatory aid are more common now, and though other prisoners may lend a hand, professional care will enter the picture.
So the plan in Colorado is to identify good candidates, school them on how to transition back into the real world, and let them go. Identify good candidates.
The problem I see right off the bat is that the first four candidates are in their early 50s. They're all convicted murderers. All in good health. Fifty is not old or even something you could categorize as elder, really.
I'm concerned and I'm not alone. Families of these guys' victims are pretty ticked off. Actually, there were six candidates, but two were dropped when victims' families went ballistic. Law enforcement officials don't buy the idea that these perps are harmless or necessarily rehabilitated. Twenty years ago, they were sentenced to death or to life in prison, now they're labeled ..."not the same individual," by Tim Hand, DOC assistant director in Colorado.
Money is money. I pay taxes - lots of them - just like you. Even I know prisons are overcrowded. But if they're going to release prisoners for the reasons cited - old age, health, cost - then dump the old folks and keep the under 65 crowd doing their time. Or at the very least, pick candidates who didn't commit pre-meditated murder.
The four: Dennis Prentiss, 54, two counts murder Jefferson County; Ricky Orr, 52, was sentenced in Denver; Douglas Schlegel, 50, was convicted and sentenced in Larimer County; and Condie Velasquez, 54, Denver.
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