Prisoners With Dementia

[John53]

I was watching a documentary a while back about the ageing prison population (ironically I can't remember what it was called or where I saw it, may have been Netflix). Anyway I've been thinking about this hypothetical for a while and can't come up with an answer that satisfies me....

Should a prisoner who has a life without parole sentence and develops dementia and now does not remember his/her crime still be incarcerated?

My thoughts. If it gets to the point that he/she does not know why they are being punished it would seem pointless to keep them locked up. If the dementia had progressed enough it is unlikely they would even know they were being punished.

In the documentary I watched the elderly prisoners were cared for by other prisoners. I'm not sure if they do this out of kindness or if it was a job they get rewarded for.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Hard to say. Some people have a life sentence because they are a danger to society. A person may still have a fair amount of strength to go with the dementia. And one thing that I have noticed is that sometime dementia causes frustration which increases the chance that one is going to be combative. Once in a nursing home I saw two old guys almost go at it. Neither one could even walk decently. If they got in a fight both of them would have been seriously injured.

 

[John53]

Hard to say. Some people have a life sentence because they are a danger to society. A person may still have a fair amount of strength to go with the dementia. And one thing that I have noticed is that sometime dementia causes frustration which increases the chance that one is going to be combative. Once in a nursing home I saw two old guys almost go at it. Neither one could even walk decently. If they got in a fight both of them would have been seriously injured.

That's true, I've got a mate who works in aged care and he has been assaulted several times. But that doesn't answer the problem of what to do with the ageing prison population. Not that I know the answer either but there must be a more humane solution or does someone like Gary Ridgway even deserve a humane solution?

 

[We Never Know]

I was watching a documentary a while back about the ageing prison population (ironically I can't remember what it was called or where I saw it, may have been Netflix). Anyway I've been thinking about this hypothetical for a while and can't come up with an answer that satisfies me....

Should a prisoner who has a life without parole sentence and develops dementia and now does not remember his/her crime still be incarcerated?

My thoughts. If it gets to the point that he/she does not know why they are being punished it would seem pointless to keep them locked up. If the dementia had progressed enough it is unlikely they would even know they were being punished.

In the documentary I watched the elderly prisoners were cared for by other prisoners. I'm not sure if they do this out of kindness or if it was a job they get rewarded for.

One has to ask, do they even realize they are in prison at that point? Is that to them what life is?

 

[John53]

One has to ask, do they even realize they are in prison at that point? Is that to them what life is?

I don't know but I don't know what the answer is. I doubt if the prison system is equipped to care for them.

 

[Subduction Zone]

That's true, I've got a mate who works in aged care and he has been assaulted several times. But that doesn't answer the problem of what to do with the ageing prison population. Not that I know the answer either but there must be a more humane solution or does someone like Gary Ridgway even deserve a humane solution?

Ooh, striking close to home. No, Gary Ridgway if he is suffering he does merit it.

 

[John53]

Ooh, striking close to home. No, Gary Ridgway if he is suffering he does merit it.

Who judges which of the lifers should suffer? Who cares for them? Who pays for it? Do we let them fend for themselves and let nature take its course? I don't know but it's becoming a problem.... the easiest way is not to think about it. Why did I have to watch that damn doco!

 

[Subduction Zone]

Who judges which of the lifers should suffer? Who cares for them? Who pays for it? Do we let them fend for themselves and let nature take its course? I don't know but it's becoming a problem.... the easiest way is not to think about it. Why did I have to watch that damn doco!

Gary Ridgway is in my state. The Seattle area is where he did his killings. We had the death penalty, but he essentially ended it. The prosecution cut him a deal where he gave s much information as possible about his murders and they agreed not to pursue the death penalty. Now I do oppose the death penalty myself. But what the prosecution did was to essentially force an end to it. If you don't use it on Ridgway then who could possibly qualify? Let me see what my state does for geriatric prisoners.

 

[John53]

Gary Ridgway is in my state. The Seattle area is where he did his killings. We had the death penalty, but he essentially ended it. The prosecution cut him a deal where he gave s much information as possible about his murders and they agreed not to pursue the death penalty. Now I do oppose the death penalty myself. But what the prosecution did was to essentially force an end to it. If you don't use it on Ridgway then who could possibly qualify? Let me see what my state does for geriatric prisoners.

It's your own fault for living in the serial killer capital of the world.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Gary Ridgway is almost 74. Reading up on prison life it tends to age one faster he may have and equivalent age of 84 or older. There are no article about him having dementia yet. But in 1998 his father died of dementia. Gary may be due if it is at all genetic. It appears that an aging prisoner population is a problem here too:

Washington struggles with aging inmate, prison population | king5.com

 

[Subduction Zone]

It's your own fault for living in the serial killer capital of the world.

Hey! Ted Bundy only went to college here:

Ted Bundy - Wikipedia

 

[Subduction Zone]

It's your own fault for living in the serial killer capital of the world.

Hah! We are number 5 according to this list:

Which State has Produced the Most Serial Killers? - Crime Capsule

Why don't you come here for a visit? It is a bit dull and dreary right now.

 

[John53]

Hah! We are number 5 according to this list:

Which State has Produced the Most Serial Killers? - Crime Capsule

Why don't you come here for a visit? It is a bit dull and dreary right now.

My wife is in Nevada at the moment, that's concerning.

 

[John53]

Gary Ridgway is almost 74. Reading up on prison life it tends to age one faster he may have and equivalent age of 84 or older. There are no article about him having dementia yet. But in 1998 his father died of dementia. Gary may be due if it is at all genetic. It appears that an aging prisoner population is a problem here too:

Washington struggles with aging inmate, prison population | king5.com

The article doesn't offer any solutions but it does answer one question, other prisoners get paid to be carers.

 

[Subduction Zone]

The article doesn't offer any solutions but it does answer one question, other prisoners get paid to be carers.

I can understand prisoners getting sub-minimum wage. But they weren't even getting a dollar an hour. Okay, ten years ago do maybe, maybe you would double that.

 

[Subduction Zone]

My wife is in Nevada at the moment, that's concerning.

Nah, serial killers do not go one the road. That would be over a thousand miles. Are you crazy?

 

[John53]

Nah, serial killers do not go one the road. That would be over a thousand miles. Are you crazy?

I was concerned because Nevada is #2 on the list but since you're now building an alibi should that concern me?

 

[PureX]

Who else will care for them?

I think we took on that responsibility as a society when we decided to imprison them for life. A sort of weird twist on, "you break it you own it".

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Who judges which of the lifers should suffer? Who cares for them? Who pays for it? Do we let them fend for themselves and let nature take its course? I don't know but it's becoming a problem.... the easiest way is not to think about it. Why did I have to watch that damn doco!

I often wonder which is worse. Life incarcerated with some of the worst of people, loss of freedom or a quick death?

After reading "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov, I am no more certain about either choice, but it did get me to thinking on the issue.

 

[Valjean]

Why do we "punish" at all? What are we trying to achieve? Isn't punishment for children too young to develop the moral principles to regulate their own actions?

I believe it's simple vengeance, the satisfaction of hurting those who have hurt or annoyed us.
If we really wanted to reduce crime we'd reëducate/rehabilitate the criminals. We'd address the causes of crime, rather than just striking back at the criminals, however satisfying that may be.

If "correctional" institutions were really correctional, we'd have a lot less crime to be incensed about.