Dying in Prison

 I went to Fort Dix FCI assuming my COPD would put an end to me. When I told people there this, they thought there was nothing worse than dying in prison.

Well, it looks like governments disagree with the inmates.

Canada's The Walrus published Geena Mortfield's People Waiting for Trial Keep Dying in Prison. Can Our Corrections System Be Fixed?

Before he died, TJ had spent four months in the sprawling Edmonton Remand Centre, Canada’s largest correctional facility. According to Statistics Canada figures, he was one of the 12,752 people held in remand centres at that time—provincial or territorial jails where people are held for two years or less—who were awaiting trial for charges they hadn’t yet been convicted of. People in jail awaiting trial have been growing in number year after year, and they face substantial risks. These individuals experience higher suicide rates than other Canadians, and their suicides accounted for 20.6 percent of all deaths in provincial correctional facilities between 2009 and 2019. The reasons for these figures are complex, but advocates say that there is a common thread: many on remand have substantial mental health needs that are going unmet, and until systemic changes are made, people will continue to die.

Anyone supporting changing Indiana's state constitutional protection for bail, should read the whole story. What is happening in Canada will happen in Indiana.

Meanwhile, down at Indianapolis: Lawmaker hopes to pass bill allowing compassionate prison release for sick, elderly:

The bill would allow an offender to file a petition for a sentence reduction or suspension to which the judge would decide whether or not to grant. The person would have to meet a plethora of age, condition and sentence requirements to be eligible and could only ask for the measure once. If released, they would have to return to a residence and seek the necessary treatment for their condition.

Morris said legislators' apprehensiveness is regarding the process, not the idea itself. He said he has worked on the language to address concerns regarding the involvement of the prosecutor.

The legislature is scheduled to end next week.

We do not care that people who were not sentenced to die in prison, die in prison. We only want people punished, and if they die in the process, so be it.

sch 4/20