Elderly and Imprisoned, AG-Public Defender Partnership & More

"I’m not the same person as I was on January 5, 2005. I’ve paid my debt to society and I’m ready to be free."
 
After 18 years of struggling with employment due to her criminal record, Vickie Rice learned she was eligible for a pardon in her home state of Pennsylvania at a screening of the documentary ‘Pardon Me’ by the Pardon Project of York County and York County Bar Association. Pardons have quietly become a leading method of criminal justice reform in Pennsylvania, offering hope to millions of individuals with criminal records. With a shift in the Board of Pardons' attitude and increased support from nonprofit projects, more than 85% of those who have a hearing now receive a pardon and a second shot at life.
 
"My body don’t work the way it used to, my mind don’t work like it used to be, and it’s intimidating. People are always looking for that edge, that leg up."
 
In an eye-opening exploration of the aging population within the U.S. prison system, individuals like Cleveland Lindley, serving 28 years for a “third strike” offense at age 53, reveal the challenges faced by elderly inmates in an environment ill-suited to their needs as incarceration rapidly accelerates aging. Research shows most people age out of criminal conduct, and the risk of reoffending for the elderly is minimal, yet they find themselves growing old in a system that wasn't designed for them, leaving them in a costly predicament for both residents and the public.
 
"They physically have me incarcerated, but they can’t get anything else from me. They’re not getting my love, they’re not getting my joy, my smile, my happiness, my sense of humor, the little bit of sanity I do have — they can’t get that."
 
Formerly incarcerated individuals, like Donald Washington Jr., are sharing their stories with "Inside Story," a video series made in partnership with Vice News and the Marshall Project, to shed light on issues related to crime, punishment, and the prison industry. The video series delves into personal stories, living conditions, and interviews with criminal justice experts and activists, emphasizing that those who have served their time can indeed lead meaningful lives post-prison. The series will also air weekly inside correctional facilities in 48 states.
 
"She didn’t want me leaving her, that was her whole thing — I’m going wherever (my sister is) going. Me and my sister were very very close. She was my heart."
 
More than one in three people arrested for misdemeanor violations by the Myrtle Beach Police Department in 2022 were listed as homeless, underscoring the challenge of maintaining a tourist-friendly environment while dealing with a homeless population. Leonora Russo's tragic story highlights the ongoing issue of criminalizing homelessness in Myrtle Beach and the tragic outcomes that occur when root causes of issues aren’t addressed. 

"We will impact lives. We will change trajectories for families and generations to come. And we will end the seemingly nonstop, unrelenting mass incarceration of Black men and women in Maryland."
 
In Maryland, 70% of its prison population is black, while black people account for only 30% of the entire state’s population. Reducing this huge disparity is now the focus of a new initiative by Maryland’s Attorney General Anthony Brown and Maryland Public Defender Natasha Dartigue, called the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative. The initiative aims to develop a comprehensive plan for reducing disparities in the criminal justice system and deliver recommendations by 2025.
 

--

Lauren Krisai
Deputy Director
Justice Action Network Foundation