Let the old duffers out! They ain't gonna hurt nobody, and they're costing us a fortune!

We have numerous prison problems in Michigan…some that require difficult solutions. But it doesn’t take a brilliant scholar to figure this one out! 

Here’s the deal. 

Michigan prisons spend roughly 15% of their $2.1 billion budget on healthcare, especially driven by the aging population. As of today, our state prison population stands at about 32,250.  Now let’s focus on that “aging population.” 

Here in Michigan we have nearly 1,000 prisoners between the ages of 70 and 80, and another 129 who are 80 and older! The margin of incarcerated men and women over 60 years of age in Michigan totals 3.5%, as compared to the national average of 1-2%. Just imagine the dollars that could be saved by reducing this segment of our prison population! 

My friend “Big Ben,” now 76 years of age, has been in prison for 52 years! He’s elderly, kind and gentle. Do you honestly believe that he and others like him, aged 70-90, might reoffend? Give me a break! 

It was “tough on crime” stuff years ago that led to many of these long prison sentences. We ended up with thousands of people condemned to die in prison regardless of who they have become since committing their crimes. 

It’s our opinion that many of these old-timers could be released and that money saved could perhaps, instead, go toward what actually keeps communities safe: trauma recovery for victims, mental health treatment, housing and programs that prevent harm before it happens. 

I must give credit to two fine writers for much of the data contained in this essay: Sarah Anderson, for R Street; and, Marta Nelson, Director of Sentencing Reform for VERA. One of their headlines: “Elderly parole makes sense for inmates ‘aging out of crime.’” 

Sadly, here in Michigan we have a high rate of parole denials, leading to extended incarceration. People in Michigan serve longer prison terms than people anywhere else in the country. 

Sarah writes, “Like many states, we hold thousands of individuals in its prisons far longer than their risk to society warrants. Research consistently shows that most “criminal careers” end within 10 years. It also reveals that individuals serving lengthy sentences pose little risk as they age—in fact, most individuals age out of criminal behavior by their late 30s. Every dollar spent incarcerating individuals longer than necessary to protect public safety after their punishment has been served is a dollar not spent on more pressing public safety concerns.” 

Enough said. Talk to your state legislators. We must rethink keeping these senior citizens in cages. They’re not going to hurt anyone, and they’re costing us a fortune! 

In conclusion, these words from Marta Nelson: “States need to return to sentencing 101: delivering meaningful accountability by providing opportunities for people to show remorse and make amends, while focusing on real—not performative—safety. Safety comes when the criminal legal system focuses more on preventing and solving crime than on doling out crushing punishments.” 

Amen and Amen!