aging prisoners; geriatric parole; medical reprieve; prison health-care costs; recidivism by age; county jail backlog
Older people in Georgia's prisons: cost, reoffending and release routes
This collection sets out facts from public sources on the subject in its title, drawn from Georgia, federal sources, Alabama, California, District of Columbia, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and other sources. Each entry gives a short statement, the exact passage from the source that supports it, and the source's title, web address and the date it was retrieved. Searches of a source that found no match are listed too, with the wordings that were tried. The entries record what each source said when it was retrieved. They aren't a complete account of the subject, and they don't add analysis or conclusions.
Where this research is used
This page is a research collection: individual facts drawn from the sources listed further down, each traced to where it came from. A research topic brings many collections together into one overview of an issue. The facts on this page feed these 5 topics; open one to see how they fit with the rest of the evidence.
Budget & Spending
Georgia's prison budget rose 44% between fiscal year 2022 and fiscal year 2026, peaked at $1.91 billion in fiscal year 2025, and then fell back to $1.79 billion in fiscal year 2027 — a retreat that came almost entirely out of state-run prison operations rather than out of the contracts, surveillance technology and private beds the surge had funded. The money moved toward health care contractors, private prisons and security hardware, while education, food and reentry programming stayed at rounding-error levels: $0.55 per meal, roughly $2 million a year on prison education, and a 22-to-1 ratio of new surveillance spending to new rehabilitation spending across the two most recent budget cycles. No independent oversight body, public outcome report or audit requirement is attached to any of it.
11,609 data points
Healthcare & Medical Neglect
Georgia's prison health care system has been found unconstitutional by the U.S. Department of Justice, sued into repeated seven-figure settlements, and documented by state auditors as unable to account for the deaths in its own custody. A privatized delivery chain — Augusta University's correctional health division for 23 years, then Wellpath, then a $2.4 billion nine-year Centurion contract — has run alongside roughly 14,000 people with identified mental health needs, ten-month waits for psychiatric appointments, and a suicide rate that state data and outside reporting place at roughly double the national prison average. This page sets out the constitutional standard, the money, the clinical record, the named dead, and the information Georgia does not publish.
5,042 data points
Parole & Sentencing
Georgia's parole system decides who leaves prison early, and it decides far less often than it once did. Parole releases fell 42 percent between fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2024, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles grants release to roughly one in twenty people serving life sentences, and the average life sentence now runs nearly three decades before release. This page traces the statutory architecture, the collapse in grant rates, the sentencing laws behind it, and the people the numbers stand for.
13,382 data points
Population & Demographics
Georgia holds roughly 50,000 people in state prisons — the fourth-largest state prison population in the country — and closer to 53,000 once private prisons, transitional centers, county prisons and probation detention are counted. That population climbed from about 7,000 in the late 1960s to a peak above 54,000, collapsed during the pandemic, and has been rising again since 2021. Its composition is the story: about six in ten people in Georgia prisons are Black in a state roughly a third Black, one in five is serving a life sentence, and more than one in four is 50 or older.
11,475 data points
Recidivism & Reentry
Georgia reports one of the lowest recidivism rates in the country — roughly 25 to 27 percent — but that figure counts only felony reconvictions within three years of release, excludes technical violations and arrests, and removes people who die during the measurement window. Measured the way the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics measures it, roughly two-thirds of people released from state prisons are rearrested within three years and 83 percent within nine, and Georgia's own analysts estimate the state's real return-to-incarceration rate at closer to 50 percent. Against that, Georgia releases 14,000 to 16,000 people a year into a reentry system with 2,344 transition beds, a $172,000 statewide vocational education contract, and a first-two-weeks death risk 12.7 times the general population's.
12,638 data points
Key Findings
The most impactful data from this research collection. Tap a card for the full finding and its source.
The finding
Among 44 states that reported population data by age to Pew and Vera, the number of older individuals increased by a median of 41 percent from fiscal 2010 to fiscal 2015, expanding from 7 percent of the total to 10 percent.
Source
The finding
In a New York release cohort, the three-year total return-to-custody rate was 9.2% for people released at age 65 and over, compared to 40.3% for those released under age 21.
The finding
The House Judiciary, Non Civil committee substitute would change the minimum per-day-per-inmate reimbursement the department pays a county from $7.50 to $30.00.
Source
The finding
A representative of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety that the board granted 20 of 34 medical reprieve requests (68.1%) in the first half of the reporting period, and reported 304 reprieves granted over 11 years.
The finding
Inquest reported that although the Georgia Constitution lets the Board of Pardons and Paroles 'parole any person who is age 62 or older,' that is not something the parole board has ever set into motion.
The finding
The ACLU report found that it costs $34,135 per year to house an average prisoner nationwide, but $68,270 per year to house a prisoner age 50 and older.
The finding
A review of medical claims paid by GCHC found that aged inmates comprised 9.7% of the population delivered health care by GCHC in fiscal year 2003 but accounted for 28.6% of all claims submitted.
The finding
Aged inmates' claims were an average of 10% higher ($356 vs. $324) than claims for other inmates.
The finding
According to a study conducted for GDC by Barrell and Associates in 1998, inmates age 50 and older were 20 times more likely to be assigned to a special medical bed than younger inmates.
All Data Points
90 verified data points extracted from primary sources.
Definition of debilitating terminal illness Legal fact
O.C.G.A. § 42-9-43(b) defines 'debilitating terminal illness' as a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in death within 12 months.
No legal right to medical reprieve Legal fact
The Southern Center for Human Rights' Parole Handbook states that no one has a legal right to a medical reprieve, and that approval by the person's doctor or the GDC Statewide Medical Director does not ensure a medical reprieve because the Parole Board makes the final decision to grant or deny.
Louisiana geriatric parole eligibility at age 60 after 10 years served Legal fact
Louisiana Revised Statutes § 15:574.4 makes a person committed to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections eligible for parole consideration upon reaching age 60 if they have served at least ten years of the term in actual custody, subject to exclusions.
Definition of entirely incapacitated Legal fact
O.C.G.A. § 42-9-43(b) defines 'entirely incapacitated' as an offender who requires assistance to perform two or more necessary daily life functions or is completely immobile, and who poses an extremely low risk of physical threat to others or the community.
Serious violent felony medical reprieve criteria Legal fact
The Southern Center for Human Rights' Parole Handbook states that for individuals serving a sentence for a serious violent felony, medical reprieves are only granted if the person is terminally ill with less than six months to live and is completely incapacitated.
Louisiana geriatric parole excludes violent and sex offenses Legal fact
Louisiana's geriatric parole eligibility provision excludes offenders convicted of a crime of violence as defined in R.S. 14:2(B) or a sex offense as defined in R.S. 15:541, regardless of the date of conviction.
Medical reprieve authority for entirely incapacitated persons Legal fact
O.C.G.A. § 42-9-43(b)(2) provides that the Board may issue a medical reprieve to an entirely incapacitated person suffering a progressively debilitating terminal illness in accordance with Article IV, Section II, Paragraph II of the Georgia Constitution.
Parole Board rarely grants medical reprieves Finding
The Southern Center for Human Rights' Parole Handbook states the Parole Board rarely grants medical reprieves.
Maryland Unger release recidivism under 3 percent Statistic
Of 188 people released under the Maryland Unger ruling, only five returned to prison for a parole violation or a new crime, an overall recidivism rate of under 3 percent, compared with a 40 percent recidivism rate for all persons released from Maryland prisons.
3% vs. 40 percent recidivism for all Maryland releases
State prison health care spending in fiscal 2015 Statistic
States spent $8.1 billion on prison health care in fiscal 2015, probably about a fifth of overall prison expenditures.
$8.1B
Source
Medical reprieve request begins with GDC Policy
The Southern Center for Human Rights' Parole Handbook states that the request for a medical reprieve typically begins with the Georgia Department of Corrections, which must approve the medical reprieve before the request can go to the Parole Board.
250 Maryland inmates affected by 2012 Unger decision Statistic
As of the 2012 Unger decision, 250 Maryland inmates were affected, convicted before 1981 under jury instructions that told juries the court's instructions on the law were merely advisory; of these 250, all but one were male.
250 inmates
Increase in older prison population 2010-2015 Statistic
Among 44 states that reported population data by age to Pew and Vera, the number of older individuals increased by a median of 41 percent from fiscal 2010 to fiscal 2015, expanding from 7 percent of the total to 10 percent.
41%
Source
GDC county jail intake processing time rose from 4 to 15 days Trend
Georgia GDC's average number of days to process offenders from county jails rose from 4 days in FY 2021 to 15 days in FY 2024, reaching the 15-day maximum before incurring jail subsidy costs.
Georgia corrections health care spending FY2010 Statistic
Georgia's total corrections department health care spending (adjusted for inflation, 2015 dollars) was $226,592,309 in FY2010.
$226.6M
Source
FY2026 $6 per diem increase for County Correctional Institutions Statistic
The FY2026 General appropriations bill increases funds for a $6 per diem increase for County Correctional Institutions, with State General Funds of $9,975,450.
$10.0M USD
Michigan sex-offense recidivism 0.8 percent Statistic
Of 4,109 people in Michigan who had been serving for a sex offense, 32 (0.8 percent) returned to prison for a new sex offense.
0.8% vs. 32 people returned to prison
Source
Georgia corrections health care spending FY2015 Statistic
Georgia's total corrections department health care spending (adjusted for inflation, 2015 dollars) was $199,359,072 in FY2015.
$199.4M
Source
County Correctional Institution expenditures FY 2024 Statistic
Georgia's total expenditures for housing offenders at contracted County Correctional Institutions were $36,721,625 in FY 2024.
$36.7M USD
New York 2018 cohort: 40% of releases under 21 returned to custody Statistic
Among New York's 2018 release cohort, 40% of individuals under 21 at release returned to DOCCS' custody within three years, while 31% of those 21 or older returned to custody.
40% vs. 31 percent of those 21+ returned to custody
49-state median per-inmate health care spending FY2012 Statistic
The 49-state median per-inmate corrections department health care spending, adjusted for inflation (2015 dollars), was $5,596 in FY2012.
$5,596
Source
County Jail Subsidy expenditures FY 2021-FY 2024 Statistic
Georgia's total expenditures for County Jail Subsidy were $0.00 in FY 2021, $810.00 in FY 2022, $0.00 in FY 2023 and $0.00 in FY 2024.
$810.00 USD
New York 2018 cohort: 9.2% return rate for releases 65 and over Statistic
In a New York release cohort, the three-year total return-to-custody rate was 9.2% for people released at age 65 and over, compared to 40.3% for those released under age 21.
9.2% vs. 40.3 percent of those under 21 returned to custody
49-state median per-inmate health care spending FY2015 Statistic
The 49-state median per-inmate corrections department health care spending, adjusted for inflation (2015 dollars), was $5,720 in FY2015.
$5,720
Source
GDC FY2014 strategic plan flagged aging inmate population Finding
GDC's FY2014 Annual Report listed 'Aging inmate population' and 'Rising healthcare costs' among 'The Challenges' in its strategic plan.
New York S2423 Elder Parole bill status Legal fact
New York Senate Bill S2423 (Elder Parole) is listed on the New York State Senate's official bill-tracking page as being in the Senate Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction.
Georgia per-inmate health care spending FY2010 Statistic
Georgia's per-inmate corrections department health care spending, adjusted for inflation (2015 dollars), was $3,871 in FY2010.
$3,871
Source
FY25 health contract increase $131,690,381 Statistic
GDC's FY25 Annual Report budget highlights attribute a $131,690,381 increase to 'Physical health, pharmacy, mental health, and dental health contract increases due to increased population, agency-managed electronic health records, and physical health risk share.'
$131.7M USD
Source
Georgia per-inmate health care spending FY2015 Statistic
Georgia's per-inmate corrections department health care spending, adjusted for inflation (2015 dollars), was $3,610 in FY2015, a 7 percent decrease from FY2010.
$3,610 vs. 3,871 FY2010
Source
Bill would raise county per-day reimbursement from $7.50 to $30.00 Finding
The House Judiciary, Non Civil committee substitute would change the minimum per-day-per-inmate reimbursement the department pays a county from $7.50 to $30.00.
Source
North Carolina FY2006-07 older inmate health cost $5,425 Statistic
In fiscal year 2006-2007 North Carolina spent an average of $5,425 per inmate who was 50 and older to provide medication and dental, medical, and mental health care, more than four times what it spent on younger inmates.
$5,425 vs. more than four times younger inmate cost
Parole Board authority to grant medical reprieve Policy
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles states it has the constitutional authority to grant a medical reprieve to any inmate it finds to be entirely incapacitated due to a progressively debilitating terminal illness, and that the Department of Corrections' medical staff recommends inmates for a medical reprieve.
Johnson State Prison geriatric/wheelchair unit capacities Policy
GDC's own page for Johnson State Prison describes it as having two Geriatric/Wheelchair Units, one housing 140 offenders and the other housing 142 offenders.
Elderly incarcerated people have five times as many health facility visits Statistic
Elderly individuals in prison have five times as many visits to health facilities per year than similarly aged people who are not incarcerated.
5.0x times as many health facility visits
Life without parole ineligibility for release Legal fact
O.C.G.A. § 17-10-7(b)(2) provides that a person sentenced to life without parole for a second serious violent felony is not eligible for any form of pardon, parole, or early release or for earned time, early release, work release, leave or other sentence-reducing measures, except as may be authorized by any existing or future provisions of the Constitution.
Board of Corrections discussed aging population September 2025 Finding
At a Georgia Board of Corrections meeting, Mr. Hogan discussed the aging population along with the Mental Health Population, sentence length, and sentencing trends.
Prisons spend two to three times more on geriatric incarceration Statistic
Vera Institute's report states that prisons spend about two to three times more to incarcerate geriatric individuals than younger inmates, and that according to a 2004 NIC report, the annual cost to imprison an older person was an estimated $70,000.
$70,000 vs. two to three times younger inmate cost
Bar on sentence reduction for certain offenses Legal fact
O.C.G.A. § 17-10-6.1(f) bars earned time, early release, work release, leave or other sentence-reducing measures, and 'any form of pardon, parole, or commutation of sentence by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles,' for sentences imposed under that Code section, other than final-year eligibility for a transitional center or work release program.
Parole Board granted 20 of 34 medical reprieve requests (68.1%) Statistic
A representative of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety that the board granted 20 of 34 medical reprieve requests (68.1%) in the first half of the reporting period, and reported 304 reprieves granted over 11 years.
68.1%
Texas MRIS screenings and approvals FY2019-FY2023 Trend
In Texas, under the Medically Recommended Intensive Supervision program, offender screenings and approvals fell from 2,803 screened with 76 approved in FY2019 to 3,084 screened with 27 approved in FY2023, with intermediate years of 2,858 screened/61 approved (FY2020), 2,508 screened/48 approved (FY2021), and 2,670 screened/58 approved (FY2022).
30-year minimum for certain murder sentences Legal fact
O.C.G.A. § 42-9-39(b) requires a person convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment who has previously been incarcerated under a life sentence to serve at least 30 years in the penitentiary before being granted a pardon and before becoming eligible for parole.
304 medical reprieves granted over 11 years Statistic
The Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles reported 304 reprieves granted over 11 years.
304 reprieves
GDC medical reprieve eligibility criteria Policy
GDC SOP 507.04.66 (Medical Reprieves) states that offenders who may be considered for a medical reprieve include those assessed to no longer pose a threat to society with terminal illness, serious medical conditions that are resource intensive, serious medical conditions not reversible with current medical therapy, and/or dementia or severe cognitive deficits.
Georgia Constitution authorizes parole of anyone age 62 or older Legal fact
ACLU of Georgia's press release states that the Georgia Constitution authorizes the Board of Pardons and Paroles to 'parole any person who is age 62 or older.'
820 persons eligible for geriatric parole in Virginia as of July 31, 2022 Statistic
As of July 31, 2022, there were 820 persons eligible for geriatric parole in Virginia.
820 persons
Medical reprieve not a right; physician discretion Policy
GDC SOP 507.04.66 states that the procedure for medical reprieve does not create a right to be reprieved for anyone, and only the responsible physician may initiate a medical reprieve at his or her discretion.
Age-62 parole power never set into motion Finding
Inquest reported that although the Georgia Constitution lets the Board of Pardons and Paroles 'parole any person who is age 62 or older,' that is not something the parole board has ever set into motion.
Virginia geriatric parole decisions and grants by year (2018-2021) Statistic
In Virginia, the Parole Board's geriatric conditional release decisions and grants were: 2018: 725 decisions, 55 grants; 2019: 759 decisions, 24 grants; 2020: 901 decisions, 77 grants; 2021 (partial): 566 decisions, 21 grants.
55 grants in 2018 vs. 21 grants in 2021 (partial)
Definition of terminally ill offender Policy
GDC SOP 507.04.60 (Care of the Terminally Ill) defines a 'Terminally Ill Offender' as one experiencing an illness for which therapeutic intervention directed toward cure is no longer appropriate, with a medical prognosis of life expectancy of six months or less.
Parole Board reported 68.1% medical-reprieve grant rate for July-Dec Statistic
The Georgia State Board of Pardons and Parole told a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee it granted 20 of 34 medical-reprieve requests in the July-Dec reporting period, a 68.1% grant rate, and described statutory standards for eligibility and the interagency review and required 90-day notice to district attorneys for serious-violent felons.
68.1%
Virginia geriatric parole grant rates 8%, 3%, 9%, 4% Trend
Virginia's geriatric parole grant rate across four calendar years was 8% (2018), 3% (2019), 9% (2020), and 4% (2021, partial).
Evaluation of terminally ill for medical reprieve Policy
GDC SOP 507.04.60 requires that all terminally ill offenders be evaluated to determine whether they meet the criteria for a medical reprieve, with the Responsible Health Authority initiating requests for appropriate patients.
Constitutional medical reprieve and age-62 parole authority Legal fact
The Georgia Constitution, Article IV, Section II, Paragraph II(e), authorizes the State Board of Pardons and Paroles to issue a medical reprieve to an entirely incapacitated person suffering a progressively debilitating terminal illness, or to parole any person who is age 62 or older, notwithstanding any other provisions of that Paragraph.
Twelve states have geriatric parole, including Georgia Finding
Twelve states have geriatric parole: Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia.
15-day transfer requirement and county reimbursement Legal fact
Under O.C.G.A. § 42-5-51(c), after proper documentation is received from the clerk of court, GDC has 15 days to transfer a sentenced inmate to its custody; if the inmate is not transferred within 15 days, the department must reimburse the county at least $7.50 per day per inmate, commencing 15 days after the documentation is received.
Constitution allows mandatory minimum sentences without parole for certain violent felonies Legal fact
Georgia's Constitution allows the General Assembly, by a two-thirds roll-call vote in each branch, to provide minimum mandatory sentences required to be served in their entirety for persons convicted of armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, or aggravated sexual battery, during which the Board of Pardons and Paroles has no authority to consider such persons for pardon, parole, or commutation.
ACLU: aging prisoner costs $68,270 per year vs. $34,135 average Statistic
The ACLU report found that it costs $34,135 per year to house an average prisoner nationwide, but $68,270 per year to house a prisoner age 50 and older.
$68,270 vs. 34,135 dollars per year for average prisoner
Parole Board discretionary reprieves Policy
A Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles rule provides that the Board may at its discretion grant reprieves to inmates usually for a limited number of days for compassionate reasons or medical reasons, and that since the Department of Corrections has a policy of granting special leaves to inmates for compassionate and medical reasons with certain restrictions, the inmate should first seek leave with the Department of Corrections.
DOJ OIG defines aging inmates as age 50 and older Methodology note
The DOJ OIG defined inmates age 50 and older as 'aging' for its review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
ACLU: states save $66,294 per aging prisoner released per year Statistic
Each aging prisoner on average costs taxpayers $68,270 per year, approximately double what it costs to incarcerate an average prisoner, and states on average will save $66,294 per aging prisoner released per year.
$66,294
Supervised reprieves for extensive periods Policy
A Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles rule provides that the Board may grant supervised reprieves to inmates of more extensive periods of time for compassionate, medical and other reasons, and that applications for supervised reprieve may be in any written form supported by written evidence on which the reprieve is sought.
BOP aging-heavy institutions spent 5x more on medical care Statistic
BOP institutions with the highest percentages of aging inmates in their population spent five times more per inmate on medical care ($10,114) than institutions with the lowest percentage of aging inmates ($1,916), and 14 times more per inmate on medication ($684) than institutions with the lowest percentage ($49).
$10,114 USD per inmate vs. 1,916 lowest-aging institutions medical care per inmate
NIC: older inmate health care costs three times typical adult inmate Statistic
The NIC report states that the cost of providing health care to older inmates has been reported as three times the cost for the typical adult inmate, citing Faiver (1998).
3.0x times typical adult inmate health care cost
Time credit during reprieve Policy
A Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles rule provides that time on reprieve will be credited toward service of sentence provided the inmate complies with the conditions of the reprieve unless stated otherwise in the Board's order, but if the reprieve is cancelled or rescinded due to noncompliance, no time served on reprieve will be credited as earned.
2004 NIC report defined aging as 50 and older Methodology note
The 2004 NIC report defined inmates age 50 and older as aging, and reported that seven state correctional agencies considered inmates age 50 and older to be aging.
27 states define 'older prisoner'; most use age 50 Statistic
According to a survey cited by the Vera Institute, at least 27 states have a definition for who is an 'older prisoner': 15 states used 50 years as the cutoff, five states used 55, four states used 60, two states used 65, and one used age 70.
27 states with a definition vs. 15 states using age 50 cutoff
Reprieve requests considered on written record Policy
A Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles rule provides that all reprieve requests will be considered on the written record and no hearing will be held by the Board for such consideration.
FY2013 federal aging inmate cost $24,538 vs $22,676 younger Statistic
In FY 2013, the average aging inmate cost $24,538 to incarcerate in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, whereas the average younger inmate cost $22,676.
$24,538 USD per inmate vs. 22,676 average younger inmate cost
Vera: many geriatric release provisions 'mostly ineffectual' Finding
The Vera Institute report states that many states that have enacted geriatric release policies have not realized a decrease in their prison populations or the savings they may have anticipated, describing the provisions analyzed as 'mostly ineffectual.'
2011 jail backlog of state inmates Statistic
In 2011, before passage of any reform bills, Georgia's corrections system had a backlog of more than 4,000 state inmate commitments held at county prisons awaiting transfer.
4,000 inmates
NCCHC projects one third of U.S. incarcerated people over 50 by 2030 Trend
The NCCHC position statement states that by 2030, it is anticipated that about one third of all U.S. incarcerated people will be over the age of 50, and that incarcerated people may present as 10 to 15 years older than their chronological age due to cumulative effects of stress and violence during incarceration as well as risk factors for poor health over the life course.
Inability to determine total health care cost per inmate Finding
Georgia's Department of Audits and Accounts found that since GDC does not allocate health care costs to individual inmates, it is not possible to determine the total cost of providing health care to an inmate or a group of inmates, but limited available cost information and numerous studies indicate that aged inmates are more costly than other inmates and more likely to require a medical bed; inmates age 50 and above are typically classified as aged inmates.
Federal rearrest 67.6% for under-21 releases vs 13.4% for 65+ Statistic
Among federal offenders released younger than age 21, 67.6 percent were rearrested compared to 13.4 percent of those released age 65 or older.
13.4% vs. 67.6 rearrest rate for releases under age 21
Aged inmates' share of health care claims FY2003 Statistic
A review of medical claims paid by GCHC found that aged inmates comprised 9.7% of the population delivered health care by GCHC in fiscal year 2003 but accounted for 28.6% of all claims submitted.
28.6% vs. 9.7 percent of population
Alabama geriatric inmate definition Legal fact
Alabama's Medical Furlough Act defines a 'geriatric inmate' as a person 55 years of age or older convicted of a non-capital felony offense and sentenced to the penitentiary, who suffers from a chronic life-threatening infirmity, life-threatening illness, or chronic debilitating disease related to aging, who poses a low risk.
Aged inmates' average claim cost higher Statistic
Aged inmates' claims were an average of 10% higher ($356 vs. $324) than claims for other inmates.
$356.00 vs. 324 dollars for other inmates
California Elderly Parole Program eligibility Legal fact
California's Elderly Parole Program is administered by the Board of Parole Hearings for reviewing the parole suitability of any inmate who is 50 years of age or older and has served a minimum of 20 years of continuous incarceration on the inmate's current sentence.
Source
Older inmates 20 times more likely to need special medical bed Statistic
According to a study conducted for GDC by Barrell and Associates in 1998, inmates age 50 and older were 20 times more likely to be assigned to a special medical bed than younger inmates.
20.0x times more likely
California Elderly Parole Program exclusions Legal fact
California's Elderly Parole Program statute states it does not apply to cases sentenced pursuant to Section 1170.12, subdivisions (b) to (i) inclusive of Section 667, or to life without parole or death sentences.
Source
Infirmary bed usage by age May 2004 Statistic
A review of infirmary bed usage in May 2004 showed that 32% of the occupied beds at GDC were filled with inmates age 50 and above.
32%
California elderly parole grant rate 32% Statistic
In California, 32% of hearings held for persons eligible for an elderly parole hearing resulted in a grant, unchanged from 32% the prior year.
32% vs. 32 prior year grant rate
Source
GDC Health program budget FY2024 expenditures Statistic
GDC's budget for its Health program (state general funds plus other and federal funds) totaled $325,613,120 in FY2024 expenditures.
$325.6M
California 606 elderly parole grants (53% of grants) Statistic
In California, 606 parole grants (53% of that year's parole grants) were to persons eligible for an elderly parole hearing, up from 44% the prior year.
606 grants vs. 44 prior year share of grants
Source
GDC Health program budget FY2025 expenditures Statistic
GDC's budget for its Health program totaled $389,939,841 in FY2025 expenditures.
$389.9M
California 3,581 elderly parole hearings (45% of hearings) Statistic
In California, 3,581 parole hearings (45% of that year's hearings) were for persons eligible for an elderly parole hearing, up from 42% the prior year.
3,581 hearings vs. 42 prior year share of hearings
Source
GDC Health program budget FY2026 original Statistic
GDC's budget for its Health program totaled $377,478,018 in the FY2026 original budget.
$377.5M
49 states and DC provide compassionate release; only Iowa lacks law Finding
FAMM found that 49 states and the District of Columbia provide one or more forms of compassionate release, and that only Iowa has no specific compassionate release law or regulation.
Source
GDC Health program budget FY2026 amended Statistic
GDC's budget for its Health program totaled $417,255,739 in the amended FY2026 budget.
$417.3M
GDC Health program budget FY2027 Statistic
GDC's budget for its Health program totaled $432,247,728 in the FY2027 budget.
$432.2M
County correctional institution per diem rate Statistic
As discussed at a Georgia Board of Corrections meeting covering the 21 County Correctional Institutions/Prisons where Georgia leases beds from counties to house state offenders, the daily per diem rate was $22.00 per offender.
$22.00
Sources
47 cited sources backing this research.
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Key Entities
Organizations, people, facilities, and other named entities referenced in this research.
26 LC 48 1811S
[legislation]
ACLU
[organization]
ACLU of Georgia
[organization]
Alabama Medical Furlough Act
[legislation]
Barrell and Associates
[organization]
Bureau of Justice Statistics
[organization]
California Board of Parole Hearings
[organization]
California Elderly Parole Program
[program]
Families Against Mandatory Minimums
[organization]
Federal Bureau of Prisons
[organization]
GA R&R - GAC - Chapter 475-3
[legislation]
GDC SOP 507.04.60
[organization]
GDC SOP 507.04.66
[organization]
Georgia Board of Corrections
[organization]
Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles
[organization]
Georgia Correctional Health Care
[organization]
Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts
[organization]
Georgia Department of Corrections
[organization]
Georgia General Assembly
[organization]
Georgia House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee
[organization]
Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles
[organization]
HB 68 (FY 2026G)
[legislation]
Johnson State Prison
[facility]
Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections
[organization]
Maryland Unger ruling
[case]
Medically Recommended Intensive Supervision
[program]
Michigan Department of Corrections
[organization]
National Commission on Correctional Health Care
[organization]
National Institute of Corrections
[organization]
New York Senate Bill S2423
[legislation]
New York State Board of Parole
[organization]
New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
[organization]
North Carolina Department of Adult Correction
[organization]
O.C.G.A. § 17-10-6.1
[legislation]
O.C.G.A. § 17-10-7
[legislation]
O.C.G.A. § 42-5-51
[legislation]
O.C.G.A. § 42-9-39
[legislation]
O.C.G.A. § 42-9-43
[legislation]
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety
[organization]
Southern Center for Human Rights
[organization]
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
[organization]
U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General
[organization]
United States Sentencing Commission
[organization]
Vera Institute of Justice
[organization]
Virginia Parole Board
[organization]
Virginia State Crime Commission
[organization]