Correctional facilities throughout the United States are home to a growing number of older adults with extensive, costly medical needs. This report examines statutes related to the early release of geriatric inmates in 15 states and the District of Columbia and concludes that these provisions are rarely used, despite the potential of reduced costs at minimal risk to public safety. The author identifies factors that help explain the discrepancy and provides recommendations for addressing it.

(Also see a guest blog post by geriatrics specialists Dr. Brie Williams and Jessamyn Conell-Price from the University of California, San Francisco, who examine the practice of geriatric release from a medical perspective.)