While Attorney General of Maine in the 1980's, my office prosecuted all homicides.  In doing so, we sentenced a number of individuals - mostly in their twenties - to a lifetime in prison.  These men are now approaching the age of 50 and, because of the rapid aging of imprisoned individuals, are now characterized in prison parlance as "geriatric." 

I wonder about them as they age.   These men must now be beginning to suffer from diabetes, congestive heart failure, cancer, high blood pressure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Some are likely to be confused and disoriented leaving them more likely to be victimized by other inmates.   For most the fragile family structures that might have existed years ago must now have all but disappeared.

My thoughts are not simply those of an aging prosecutor gone soft - although to some degree I would plead guilty to that charge - but of someone concerned as to the implications of the statistics that show that inmates 50 and older are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. prison population.  The costs - both financial and moral - for the care of aging prisoners will soon be crashing down on the shoulders of state correctional and prosecutorial personnel.

Is anyone paying attention?