Editorial: Take a new look at cost of keeping old prisoners

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Updated: March 15, 2012 8:06AM

The State of Illinois, crazy broke as it may be, spends more than $1.4 billion a year on prisons.

If only to keep a lid on taxes, that can’t go on, and elected officials across the political spectrum have been getting serious about finding ways to reduce the state’s prison population. Much of the emphasis has been on diverting young nonviolent offenders from prison to neighborhood-based monitoring and rehabilitation programs, which makes sense.

But what about the old folks?

A new study by Human Rights Watch reports that American prisons are fast becoming geriatric facilities, with the number of prisoners 55 and older growing at a rate six times that of the rest of the prison population. The Illinois Department of Corrections spends about $428 million a year — about a third of its budget — on older inmates.

We’re frankly torn on what to do about this problem, but feel surely it deserves greater attention. Fortunately, a state panel, the Sentencing Policy Advisory Council, is collecting data on the issue.

It’s a good bet that many of the oldest inmates could be freed without endangering the public. Bank robbery is a less appealing career choice once your knees give out. Less than 4 percent of inmates released after age 70 return to prison.

But many of the oldest inmates committed horrific crimes; that’s why they pulled long sentences. They may no longer be dangerous, but few Illinois residents would like to see them freed. Case in point: Bill Heirens, 82, the longest-serving inmate in Illinois, who was locked up when he was 17 for murdering three Chicago women.

It is also true that most older inmates, once released, remain a financial burden on society, living on public assistance.

Former Judge Gino DiVito, chairman of the state panel, says it may become apparent that the best solution is a “happy medium,” such as a lower-cost prison facility designed for the geriatric set. But DiVito says he’s taking no side on the matter until he knows much more about these older inmates.

Sounds like the right first step to us.