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Smithey's Recidivism

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The issues of aging prisoners in the United States as delineated by the Pearson video on chapter ten and the Huffington Post article include 20% of the population amassing beyond 45 years old, $40,000-$60,000 to care for one elderly prisoner, assistance for the elderly not fabricated in penitentiary budgets, and elderly quarters/recidivism exams in parallel to elderly release. The Huffington Post exemplifies that cost rises $5,500 to $40,000 in the time range from 50-80 years old (Maschi, 1). Aside from these issues, the Pearson video also exhibited that dementia, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, CVD, and walking troubles are challenges of the elderly population in prison (Pearson video). The issues exemplified by the Pearson video and the Huffington …show more content…

According to this article, Betty Smithey asphyxiated a 15-month old toddler in parallel to mental illness on New Year’s Day in 1963. One reason approving Smithey’s release could be the mental illness dictums that may have been discarded in Smithey’s conviction. Another reason approving Smithey’s clemency could be the recidivism statistics and the danger potential tests (i.e. she appeases the dissipated recidivism and crime association delineated by the Huffington Post) and the forgiveness of the family she received in the 1980s (Hoffer, 1). A reason for disapproving Smithey’s clemency could be the conflict between Arizona’s enacted term statutes and the “old-code lifer” and the cost currently distributed for Smithey (Glionna, 1). In my opinion, I think that care for the elderly in prison can be improved through the differentiated elder imprisonment displayed by the Pearson video. More care could be given to these differentiated elder imprisonment variants and less guards could be assigned given the de-escalated recidivism and violent behaviors. I do not feel any compassionate release programs are appropriate. I feel that a compassionate release program is the third link in a chain I disagree with. As description, the death penalty was prevented due to costs above life imprisonment. Now it seems that compassionate release programs are preventing life imprisonment because of cost

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