Pennsylvania House Approves Medical Release Bill for Aging Inmates

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan bill aimed at expediting medical release for the state’s aging prison population. This legislation, known as House Bill 150, received a vote of 111-92 and is expected to save lives and reduce costs associated with elderly incarceration, according to its supporters.

Sponsored by Rep. Rick Krajewski, a Democrat from Philadelphia, and Rep. Torren Ecker, a Republican from Adams and Cumberland counties, the bill seeks to reform Pennsylvania’s slow compassionate release process for seriously ill and elderly inmates. Advocates argue that the current system is inadequate for the growing number of geriatric individuals in state prisons.

Statistics indicate that over 27 percent of incarcerated individuals in Pennsylvania are classified as geriatric. Alarmingly, only 54 people have been granted compassionate release in the past 15 years, and during that time, 11 inmates died while waiting for a hearing. “Those are 11 people who could’ve spent their last days at home with family and loved ones,” Krajewski stated. “Eleven people who posed no threat to society whatsoever.”

Streamlining the Release Process

House Bill 150 proposes a more structured review process for early medical release. It requires consideration of factors such as time served, disciplinary history, victim input, and an inmate’s physical condition. Similar reforms have been successfully implemented in states like Maryland and North Carolina.

The bill has garnered support from a diverse coalition of criminal justice reform advocates and fiscal conservatives. Supporters emphasize the financial implications of elderly incarceration, estimating that the legislation could save taxpayers up to $15 million annually by reducing costly end-of-life medical care in prisons. “Corrections is our state’s third biggest area of spending, and the Department has named the overwhelming cost of care for our aging prison population as one of their biggest fiscal challenges,” Ecker noted.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, the geriatric inmate population has surged by 300 percent since 2001, with more than 7,000 elderly individuals currently incarcerated. The state allocated over $426 million for prison medical care in the 2023-24 fiscal year, including $40.5 million specifically for elderly inmates at risk of death.

Looking Ahead

Advocates for change, including Robert Saleem Holbrook, executive director of the advocacy group Straight Ahead, believe House Bill 150 represents a vital opportunity for aging inmates to demonstrate rehabilitation and pursue release when continued incarceration is unnecessary.

Krajewski described the passage of the bill in the House as a significant milestone, attributing its success to the collaboration of bipartisan lawmakers and grassroots organizations. Attention now shifts to the Senate, where supporters are urging prompt consideration of the bill. The future of House Bill 150 will depend on how lawmakers balance concerns about public safety, financial implications, and compassion as Pennsylvania grapples with the realities of an aging prison system.