LSJ 200 RQ 5

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University of Washington *

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200

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Medicine

Date

Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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Uploaded by alecsun550

Reading Questions – Too Easy to Keep, Chapter 3 - 4 What are the range of issues that prisons will face as the number of elderly prisoners increases? Which of these strikes you as the most significant? Why? Aging prisoners require medical attention that is not only expensive, but also time consuming and limited. If they are cognitively impaired, there needs to be someone to take care of them and their daily needs. Some facilities aren’t properly equipped with mobility assistance for these prisoners, making a transfer necessary for some. I believe that the most significant is the medical issue– it will ultimately affect the most prisoners, and cut into most of the prison funding and management. Almost every prisoner will have a medical issue due to their age, and that would put a significant strain on the hospitals, and prison. Herbert highlights a potential tension between security and care. Why might this issue be so persistent? Are there ways to resolve this tension? If so, what might they look like? Care for these older prisoners requires some loosening of restrictions which puts a burden on security, whose task is to restrict and take away certain things from prisoners. Some prisoners require special treatment, which requires caregivers to “give” while the job of security is to “take” this clash of intent will lead to tension between the two. It will always remain an issue as the prisoner’s health is not going to get better, and the standards for prisoner conduct will not change anytime soon. A possible solution to this tension would be a mutual understanding– the prisoner is aged. They are very unlikely to act out, and need this sort of care and accommodation so that they don’t develop even worse health problems that damage the prison long term. Herbert’s analysis seems to make clear that the prison system in Washington is woefully under-resourced, particularly in providing care to its elderly inmates. If additional resources could be made available, where are the possible places those resources could go? Programming, funding for better facilities for medical and cognitive care, staff who are specialized in older people care. All of those seem like weak points in the Washington prison system. More jobs and opportunities for work encourage LWOPs who are older to stay active, and give a sense of action to them, facilities for medical and cognitive care would ease the burden on already overcrowded prisons, and more staff who specialize in elderly care who know what they are doing to take care of these aging prisoners. If you were a Washington state legislator, would you advocate for any changes in law in response to Herbert’s analysis? If so, why, and what changes would you recommend? If not, why not? I am in support of Herbert’s proposed idea of increasing job opportunities for for-lifers. They need some sort of stimulation while inside prison, and they could contribute positive and meaningful action to themselves, and the economy as a whole. This would take minimal resources, a facility for these jobs and a few supervisors for a large economic boon as well as keeping prisoners busy and away from bad influences. One thing that I would be a little skeptic about is Herbert’s idea of punishment-reduction. For prisoners who show excellent behavior, genuine rehabilitation, and pose no threat to society anymore, this system would have to be comprehensive and ironclad, to prevent prisoners who shouldn't be released, released.

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