June 22, 2017
Metrowest Daily News
By Sheriff Peter Koutoujian and Leslie Walker
We believe it is time for Massachusetts to join the list of 45 states and the federal government who have instituted Extraordinary Medical Placement, Medical Parole or Compassionate Release programs.
Our incarcerated population is aging, and the graying of corrections has brought with it many logistical and budgetary challenges. The Department of Justice estimates that between 2009-2014 the number of inmates aged 55 and older doubled across the country.
While corrections professionals are trained to address a myriad of situations, treating terminally ill and permanently incapacitated individuals should not be one of them.