LANSING – There are currently 2,149 inmates aged 65 or older in the state, accounting for 6.7% of the state’s total prison population of 32,265, according to data from Jenni Riehle, the public information officer for the Department of Corrections.
“Our population is aging because when you come to prison in Michigan, you tend to stay longer periods of time,” said Heidi Washington, the director of the department.
The department has observed an upward trend in the average minimum sentence imposed by judges, rising from just two years two decades ago to the current five years, according to Washington.
Washington said that the longer sentences lead to the aging population build up.
Riehle said that aging inmates need more medical services than younger populations, increasing the need for accessible facilities and equipment such as wheelchairs and specialized systems for hearing-impaired inmates. Those may incur additional costs for the department.
Prisons also provide courses and educational placements for individuals serving life sentences and indeterminate sentences as part of a strategic program for inmates.
The results are good, according to Washington.
“People who are in prison for a long time also need to have constructive things to be doing, things that help them work on their own selves and their plan for the future,” Washington said.
To address the aging of the population resulting from long-term incarceration, Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, is promoting legislative changes.
She has introduced the Second Look Sentencing Act which would allow judges to review the sentences of nonviolent inmates who have already served at least 10 years. The legislation has not been passed.
Chang, who chairs the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety, said, “Some people have been in prison for many decades. They’re now just very different people. They’ve changed themselves.
“Maybe they don’t need to be there any more,” Chang said.
