Question

There is much discussion about letting geriatric offenders out of prison when they get old because 1) they can't offend any more, and 2) they are very costly and take up a lot of fiscal resources. The group on the other side says keep them in there because they "did the crime so they have to do the time". There are really good arguments on both sides of that coin, but I want to know which side you're on and what is your rationale behind your position?

Answer 1

People make mistakes and commit crimes that lead them to prison. They are expected to be in the prison in proportion to the crimes they committed. However, human beings are prone to mistakes and that they commit crimes out of emotional outburst. This doesn’t mean that one should die in the prison aging. When people age, the become wiser and they regret and repent their crimes. This should mean that they need a final stay on the earth in the area where they breathed most of their life. Releasing them before their time because of their age would help them spend some time with their loved one’s which should be respected as their basic right. However, if they commit crime again, they could be locked up again but one cannot foresee anything. So, releasing them based on their age would only bring out the good thing about our civilized nature and human touch.

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