Dementia in Prison Is Turning into an Epidemic: The U.S. Penal System Is Badly Unprepared

One prisoner is remembered by Carter. They had been trying to get commutations so they could apply for parole. Carter says that his fellow prisoner became debilitated with dementia and was unable to complete the paperwork.

Carter says that within a few months, this prisoner was knocked out, lying in bed with his arms over his head. Carter said that his fellow prisoner died in prison because he was too mentally impaired to seek forgiveness. He didn't know the crime he was charged with.

Carter and Lpez argued in the October 2021 issue of the law review that the current sentencing structure locks people up and throws away the key. Lpez is worried about the number of elderly people who are in prison. She says it's part of the legacy of the "tough on crime" era.

The number of inmates age 55 or older increased by over 200 percent from 1999 to 2016 according to a survey. Many of the three-strikes laws and mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole are still on the books today. Instances of dementia increase as the number of aging prisoners increases. According to an article written by Lpez in the June 2020 issue of Federal Sentencing Reporter, between 70,341 and 211,020 of the estimated 400,000 elderly in the US will develop dementia in the next 20 years. Alzheimer's disease is the most common, but there are other dementias that involve Lewy bodies, as well as Parkinson's disease.

An article published in the journal Health & Justice states that prison may accelerate aging and the chance of developing the disease. The author of the study says that the high risk is due to challenges faced in prison life. Issues with alcohol or drug misuse, mental health problems, and potential traumatic brain injuries are all factors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition in prisoners. A lack of stimulation and a poor quality of life make up the problem.

Alzheimer's patients are vulnerable to abuse. Tina Maschi, co-author of the book Aging Behind Prison Walls: Studies in Trauma and Resilience, says that their erratic behavior and inability to follow directions is making other prisoners and staff angry.

She found that people with dementia are more vulnerable to being victimized. They are more likely to be reprimanded if they become aggressive towards staff. Maschi says that staff who aren't trained in dealing with dementia patients are acting out because they're not in touch with the prison rules. They can become victims of sexual assaults by other prisoners because they can't defend themselves.

The problem could get worse if the practices are not changed. In a decade, age 55 and older will make up one third of the US's prison population. Lpez says that prisons don't have the resources to care for this group. There are some relatively available short term solutions. Senior structured living programs that include puzzles, knitting and cognitive exercises may help to reduce the risk of elderly prisoners getting dementia later on.

A program at Northern Nevada Correctional Center is described in a review. It teaches inmates older than 55 skills such as crocheting, painting, jigsaw puzzle making and beading, as well as emphasizing the importance of physical activity. The program has been shown to increase inmate quality of life, reduce medication use, and improve health and well-being.

According to experts, compassionate release isn't often used. Once a patient gets to the end of their life, geriatric parole is used. For the program to reduce the elderly burden on the prison system, it would have to be used before inmates are so sick that they can't be integrated back into society. Ronald Aday, author of the book Aging Prisoners: Crisis in American Correction, says that once prisoners are too far gone, it is hard for them to find a place to live. According to a report from Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the program is rarely used and that it presents a number of barriers for older inmates to get out.

Basic training needs to be given to prison workers when inmates develop dementia. "Correctional staff and those in daily contact with older prisoners need to understand both their vulnerability to other inmates and their inability to understand orders."

Dementia wards in prisons may be needed to house prisoners with cognitive problems. There is a memory ward in Massachusetts. The staff is trained to care for people with dementia.

The issue of dementia wards in prisons shines a spotlight on the fact that prisons are not adequately equipped to house these patients. The intention of the prison was to rehabilitate. They were supposed to correct people so they could return to work. He says that we have lost our purpose, and as a result, 10-year sentences have tripled, and life in prison without the possibility of parole is all too common. We won't be able to address the issue if we don't get a hold of our out-of-balance sentencing structure

Carter feels fortunate that he made it out of his mouth. He spent years taking care of elderly inmates and was able to commute his sentence to life with parole for a robbery he committed when he was 22 years old. He was released in July of last year.

Carter is still haunted by the people he left behind. Most of them don't realize where they are at the end of their lives. If you don't know you're in prison, what kind of punishment is it?