The problem with aging prison members is that our legal system spends more of its money on our older inmates than our younger ones. The three strikes rule in the United States is a major factor in why we have such a high rate of older inmates in our prisons. We imprison senior members for life after they commit more than three crimes, regardless of the crime. This leads to our legal system being stuck with many elderly prisoners. Our legal system must pay more money to accommodate our older inmates because they have greater medical needs. The criminal justice system is spending a significant amount of money on our sick elderly inmates even though they are unable to commit other crimes, leading to further problems in the system. As most states have cracked down on criminal behavior, prison populations have increased over the past decade. In some prisons the population has increased up to six times. “The United States has the highest prison population rate in the world, with 756 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants” (Turner). Our population of aging inmates in our criminal justice system over the age of fifty are more than likely to contract up to three chronic diseases while incarcerated. The criminal justice system spends three times the amount on older inmates. Having elderly inmates in our criminal justice system has huge consequences because our system does not have a large enough budget to be able to accommodate elderly criminals with their needs. Elderly criminals in prison are draining our system because they are not actually paying for the crime they committed, but instead getting benefits for committing crimes. According to the Committee on Elderly Prisoners, what if our legal system released our older prisoners... middle of paper... helping our society or not helping a hard working American? Works Cited ADAY, RONALD H. "Aging Prisoners' Concerns About Death in Prison." Omega: Journal of Death and Dying 52.3 (2005): 199-216. Academic research completed. Network. April 17, 2014.Regan, Judith J., Ann Alderson, and William M. Regan. "Psychiatric disorders in elderly prisoners". Clinical Gerontologist 26.1/2 (2003): 117-124. Academic research completed. Network. April 17, 2014.Turner, Mary, Sheila Payne, and Zephyrine Barbarachild. "Care or Custody? An Evaluation of Palliative Care in North West England Prisons." Palliative Medicine 25.4 (2011): 370-377. Academic research completed. Network. April 17, 2014. Williams, Brie A., et al. “Aging in Correctional Custody: Setting a Policy Agenda for Health Care for Older Prisoners.” American Journal of Public Health 102.8 (2012): 1475-1481. Academic research completed. Network. April 17. 2014.