Crime & Safety
Aging behind bars: These are the 10 oldest inmates in Illinois
As an aging prison population becomes a growing burden on Illinois' correctional system, we look at the state's 10 oldest inmates.
Like many states across the country, Illinois’ aging prison population is putting a growing financial strain on the state’s correctional system.
Of the roughly 43,000 inmates housed in Illinois Department of Corrections as of March 31 2017, about 7,300, or 17 percent, were over the age of 50, compared to 6 percent in June 2005.
While recent criminal justice reforms have led to a 12.6 percent reduction in the state’s prison population between the first quarters of 2015 and 2017, the percentage of elderly inmates continues to rise.
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The Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform notes this trend is true for both new admissions and offenders who return to prison for violating the conditions of their parole...
To read the rest of this post and to see the list of the 10 oldest inmates in Illinois — and what they did to land them behind bars — click here.
