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United States
Aging inmates now die in prison from natural causes
Mis en ligne le 07/06/2005
The rise of lengthy, mandatory sentences and a nationwide tough-on-crime attitude has resulted in a booming prison population – 2.1 million last June, compared with 501,886 in 1980 – and an aging one. The number of inmates dying from natural causes rose to 2,700 in 2002 from 799 in 1982.
According to the American Correctional Association, inmates often arrive at prison in the physical condition of someone 10 to 15 years older because of the lack of health care they received while free. Chronic illnesses such as HIV, hepatitis and asthma are prevalent among prisoners as are histories of alcohol and drug abuse. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (As inmates age, a carpenter builds more coffins ; 18/05/2005) writes that at the Angola state penitentiary in Tunica (Louisiana), once known as the bloodiest prison in America where inmates used to fashion weapons from innocuous items such as toothbrushes and towels, death today comes from natural causes. Established as a prison in 1880, Angola was named for the area of Africa where most of its slaves come from. At Angola, 97 percent of inmates now die in prison. The prison lost its oldest inmate earlier this year. He was 95 years old and incarcerated since Harry Truman was president. To deal with its aging population, over 500 inmates at Angola have been trained to perform CPR and there is a hospice for those who are in the final stages of terminal illnesses. The warden has created a funeral industry of which coffin-making is a primary piece. Other inmates make shrouds for the caskets and plan services. Two years ago, the prison stopped accepting anyone with a sentence of less than 50 years, meaning few will ever leave. www.post-gazette.com
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