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Being A Citizen Of The United States

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Being a citizen of the United States, I believe everyone deserves freedom. I also believe in the justice system, that ultimately decides how long a person’s sentence will be per crime they have committed. Once inside, freedom remains outside of the prisons walls. When the argument of elderly prisoners who experience diseases, most likely caused by their old age, had the potential to be released from prison and cared for by their families; I was immediately intrigued by the proposal. Introduced in the editorial, “Why Keep the Old and Sick Behind Bars?” published in The New York Times. One of the main reasons behind their release is the expense of an elderly criminal’s care, an expense the tax payers must meet. Some statistics show that a …show more content…

These elderly criminals are very costly, presenting a major flaw in the argument of release for the average family. Elderly people are costly due to the medical attention required to properly care for them. If these elderly prisoners become sick to the point that prisons deem them a burden financially, prisons being government funded, they will be extremely costly to the average family. Most families will not be able to take care of their needs, both physically and financially, potentially causing financial hardship, anxiety, and strain. In the editorial from The New York Times, “Should Sick and Elderly Prisoners be Set Free?” the remark is made, “These prisoners could wind up homeless on the streets. Or they could apply for Medicaid, which will send them to a nursing home. All this at taxpayer expense.” Even if they do stay with their families, they will most likely draw their social security or Medicaid. Therefore, the main argument to free elderly prisoners cannot be to save tax payer money. As one may now see, tax payers are still paying for the care, due to government funding’s alternate forms of accessibility. Not to mention, the worry of our country regarding jobs and the unemployment rate, extra caregivers in these

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