[Waychel]

According to the Legislative Analyst's Office, California alone currently holds 7000 elderly inmates over the age of 55 and that number is estimated to grow to 30,500 by 2020, which would lead to a $4 billion annual cost EXCLUSIVELY. My state isn't alone in the overbearing number of elderly inmates that must be accomodated for and the fact of the matter is that our penitentiary system is as over-stressed in budget as it is in capacity. This is why good behavior practically guarantees parole to elderly inmates. We are putting more child molesters and killers back on the streets just because of their age. Life in prison means NOTHING unless it is followed by the statement, "without eligability for parole."

Prisoners age just the same as we do and actually have a much higher predisposition towards health problems in old age (considering that most have a drug history). Inmates with more serious convictions of murder are just better off dead in my opinion rather than inconveniencing society even further. I believe our tax dollars would be better spent in the interest of furthering the educational system or promoting afterschool programs and social services so that such crimes can be stopped at the source. Dealing with the "leftovers" is not humane, but placing the care of societies failings as a priority over our future.