City Room™ - Metro - Effort to Release Old Prisoners Irks Prosecutors

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Effort to Release Old Prisoners Irks Prosecutors
Produced by Chip Mitchell on Thursday, August 21, 2008

A bill that could lead to freedom for some elderly Illinois prisoners got bad reviews from some heavy-hitting opponents Wednesday.

The state’s prison system has some 45,000 inmates. A proposal before an Illinois House committee would enable those who’ve turned 50 and spent 25 years behind bars to seek a sentence reduction.

At a crowded hearing Wednesday, the Chicago police union chief and top local prosecutors blasted the bill. Cook County State’s Attorney Dick Devine warned of effects on relatives of murder victims.

DEVINE: This legislation would open up a whole new area of grief and concerns for these families who have already suffered so much.

Campaigners for the measure include retired social worker Bill Ryan.

RYAN: This bill is not a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Ryan points out that inmates would have to petition the court that first sentenced them and show that their freedom would not endanger public safety.

The bill’s supporters don’t expect any legislative votes on freeing elderly prisoners before next spring.

Cindy, Chicago // Friday, August 22, 2008 @ 6:45 PM

I guess we need to ask ourselves how far in debt society is obligated to go for the murder victims and their families if the convicted are no longer a danger to society? A recent article showed how the percent of the U.S. elderly population is aging and younger age groups are shrinking. Are we going to expect our children to support sick, elderly prisoners with their tax dollars and an elderly population living on social security? Are we also obligated to financially cripple our children and their futures by placing heavy tax burdens on them which the prison system certainly will? If you look at California, the feds are ready to seize $8 billion dollars from State coffers for medical care for prisoners. And doesn't California already pay more for prisons than they do on secondary education? It seems to me if don't change and focus on rehabilitation, that that task will be left to our children. And doesn't it concern anybody that with the unprecedented number of people already in prison, that the murder rate is going up at least in Cook County? Are we the People of Illinois well served? I for one, don't think so. Perhaps it's a good thing that Devine is on his way out.