Old, Infirm and Paying the Ultimate Price

I wish to thank Sandra Kobrin for her story about the elderly inmates in our prison system (“Dying on Our Dime,” June 26). She brought to light the necessity of relieving our system of the elderly, the dying, the infirm--the most costly of all prison inmates. With compassionate release, they could get much better care with their families or at residential care homes.

This could save millions of taxpayer dollars. The dollars saved could much better serve the needs of other inmates, and help provide better healthcare, rehabilitation programs, drug and mental health treatment, education and practical training.

These elderly and sick inmates are no longer threats to society, so why keep them locked up like animals when they could live what is left of their lives in the loving care of family or friends? Please release them.

Josie Strode

Red Bluff, Calif.

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Kobrin thinks the “obvious solution” to the staggering medical costs incurred by elderly California prisoners is to shift that financial burden from the state to the federal government. Can she possibly be so narrow in her thinking that shifting a cost among taxpayers is considered a “solution”?

Gerry Swider

Sherman Oaks

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Growing old and lame in jail can end up being part of the punishment. No doubt, many crime victims get great satisfaction knowing that their offender will grow old, feeble-minded and incontinent before finally lying down to take “the big sleep” in a drab prison cell.

Steve Endom

Hermosa Beach

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Kobrin argues that older prisoners are feeble non-threats to society. Then the article “One Final Con” (by Richard A. Serrano, June 26) relates how Viva LeRoy Nash escaped from prison at age 67 and killed a man. Bad people usually stay bad, despite the occasional one who finds religion. This is a sad reality.

Sean McAuliffe

West Los Angeles