As a former commissioner of the Indiana Department of Corrections, I know firsthand the many challenges associated with operating the state’s 18 adult prison facilities.
But the greatest challenge was managing the state’s rapidly growing number of elderly and terminally ill inmates and their care as they approached the end of life. People over the age of 65 are the fastest growing prison population in Indiana and often have specialized medical needs that far exceed the capacity of correctional facilities.
This year, Indiana has an opportunity to expand compassionate and safe relief pathways for seniors and those with serious, life-threatening, and costly medical conditions without compromising public safety. House Bill 1648, which has already passed House 89-1, gives those who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness or who are seriously ill and debilitated the opportunity to amend their sentences. This creates an avenue to petition the court to amend the sentence, and also allows tight control over response times and notifications to families.
Matthew Gross was a father of five when he died in Department of Corrections custody in December. He was jailed for a probation violation and diagnosed with terminal cancer. His family begged to let him go home so they could spend the last moments of his life together.Relegated to the infirmary, Matthew almost I couldn’t breathe or move. He died just eight days before he was released.
This law is not only correct. They are also smarter about crime and use correctional resources more efficiently.
Given that the state spends an average of $27,000 a year per incarcerated individual, and that the DOC has already warned nearly 500 people are eligible for merciful release, Indiana’s have the opportunity to save hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars by giving back just those people. with a life-threatening illness. By prioritizing the most needed correctional resources rather than overburdening prisons with individuals who could be safely released to places where they could receive more cost-effective and adequate health care. , can not only reduce wasteful spending, but also increase public safety.
Terminally ill and elderly people are rarely at risk for our communities and communities as they approach their final days. Individuals receiving compassionate release in the federal prison system from which eligibility criteria for HB 1648 were drawn had a recidivism rate of only 3.5%. That’s nearly a tenth of the current recidivism rate here in Indiana. Passing this bill will promote public safety and help redistribute costs to those who truly care about public safety.
HB 1648 will not only benefit correctional officials and Indiana families, it will also penetrate our communities and businesses by increasing public safety and reducing wasteful state spending. I commend Congressman Bob Morris, House Court and Criminal Law Committee Chair Wendy McNamara, and the House of Representatives for passing this bill with near-unanimous bipartisan support. The Senate must swiftly enact these common sense changes.
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Carter is Vice President of Public Relations for Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. From 2017 he served as commissioner of the Indiana Department of Corrections until 2022.
