A SMALL, BUT GROWING CONGRESSIONAL AND GRASS-ROOTS MOVEMENT WANTS TO FREE OLDER, NON-VIOLENT OFFENDERS FROM PRISON EARLY. IN THE 1980'S AND 1990'S, FOR CRIMES SUCH AS DRUG POSSESSION, THE MANDATORY SENTENCES WERE MUCH TOUGHER. SO THEREFORE, MORE MEN AND WOMEN IN THEIR PRIME EARNING AND FAMILY-RAISING YEARS ARE SERVING LONG PRISON TERMS TODAY.
AS A RESULT, THE FEDERAL PRISON POPULATION GREW MORE THAN 150 PERCENT TO ALMOST 150,000 INMATES FROM 1990 TO 2002, ACCORDING TO THE JUSTICE DEPT. MORE THAN 90 PERCENT ARE MALE. THE FASTEST GROWING AGE GROUP IS 45 AND OLDER IN PRISONS, TODAY.
IT COSTS $22,000/YEAR TO HOUSE AN INMATE.THE COST IS TRIPLE FOR ELDERLY PRISONERS WITH HEALTH CARE AND HOUSING NEEDS
VIOLENT OFFENDERS WHO SHOULD GET LONG PRISON TERMS OFTEN GO FREE YEARS BEFORE NONVIOLENT OFFENDERS. A 3-TIME RAPIST IN MICHIGAN CAN BE SENTENCED TO 7 YEARS IN PRISON, WHILE A PERSON CAUGHT WITH 2 LBS. COCAINE, CAN GET 25 YEARS.
THIS YEAR, LEGISLATION IS BEING PUSHED BY LAWMAKERS TO FREE SOME NON-VIOLANT, OLDER INMATES.
EXPERTS HAVE FOUND MANDATORY SENTENCES HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO RECENT LOWER CRIME RATES BECAUSE THEY HELP GET OFFENDERS OFF THE STREET.
SOME FEEL THAT PRISONERS AS YOUNG AS 55 SHOULD BE RELEASED EARLY TO HOME DETENTION. AT HOME, THEY WOULD WEAR AN ANKLE BRACELET, AND BECOME A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY AGAIN.
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