| Description |
Although older inmates are a relative minority within the Utah Department of Corrections now, at slightly less than 7% of the total inmate population, their growth rate in terms of prison admissions has been increasing sharply at a rate of 19% per year. Sixty percent of older inmates are sex offenders, and this percentage increases with age. Although the growth rate for medical costs, the most expensive component of incarceration for older inmates, has been well controlled, older inmates are overrepresented in the utilization of these services. There has been a gradual increase in the number of older parolees and felony probationers under community correction's supervision over the last 15 years. In 1990, 3.5% of supervised offenders in Utah were 55 years or older, but by the end of 2005 the proportion had grown to 5.2%. The synergy between more older sex offenders being admitted to prison and the limited availability of prison-based sex offender treatment will have a limiting effect on releases of older inmates. This is likely to result in a higher concentration of older inmates over time. Up to now, sex offender jxeatment in a halfway house has been afi alternative tq ppspn-basecj treatment. However, with these halfway house beds already in short supply, {fyis will bpcome less of an option for older inmates convicted of sex offenses. Utah h p beei} fortunate in ijs ability to jjse the indeterminate sentencing structure to COffjpi pfisojfpr growth, and ths costly expansion of more flmpp. beds, by maintaining a homeostasis h^ween older prison admissions and release^, f^is will become more difpcult in the'future with older inmates, weighing the inpsep^tye evolution of the aging def||pgra^l]|pi| j,p Utah's Corrections against the need to preserve community safety. |
