Pennsylvania’s prison population is aging rapidly. More than 11,000 incarcerated people now meet the definition of “geriatric,” giving our state one of the largest elderly prison populations in the nation. The Department of Corrections has repeatedly warned that the growing medical needs of this group, and the costs associated with their care, pose a significant long‑term challenge for the Commonwealth. 

The financial burden is substantial. Pennsylvania taxpayers are now covering not only the basic costs of incarceration but also the rapidly rising expenses of providing medical care to an aging prison population. Medication for an incarcerated person over age 50 costs 115% more than for someone under 50. The growing demand for skilled nursing, memory care, and infirmary services inside prison requires not just traditional security staff but also highly trained medical personnel. Meanwhile, ongoing correctional staffing shortages have intensified the strain, with officers dedicating countless hours to transporting frail, medically complex individuals to off-site hospitals and medical appointments. As the number of older incarcerated people continues to increase each year, these costs will escalate even further, placing mounting pressure on the state budget. 

On August 25, 2026, Senator Cappelletti convened a forum inside one of Pennsylvania’s largest state correctional institutions, bringing together incarcerated community members, lawmakers, experts, advocates, and government officials to confront this urgent issue. Lawmakers heard directly from those experiencing the realities of aging behind bars and explored responsible, just, and humane approaches to geriatric and medical compassionate release policies. 

Experts from Maryland, where geriatric and medical compassionate release legislation passed in 2025, shared their experiences and best practices. At least twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have already established both medical and geriatric parole in statute, giving Pennsylvania proven models to learn from and build upon. Drawing on these lessons, we intend to introduce legislation to create a responsible, thoughtfully structured pathway to parole eligibility for incarcerated people who are elderly or who face serious medical infirmities. 

We know that safely paroling elderly people is both possible and responsible. Research consistently shows that people age out of crime. Arrest rates fall sharply after the early thirties, and nearly three‑quarters of people arrested nationwide are under age 40. According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, recidivism declines steadily with age, even among individuals convicted of violent offenses. In fact, people who commit violent crimes are less likely to reoffend than those who commit nonviolent ones. 

We have seen this proven in real world outcomes. In Philadelphia, a 2020 study followed 174 individuals released after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Miller v. Alabama. After nearly two years in the community, only two were reconvicted of a new offense. Maryland saw similar results when 200 people, all convicted of violent crimes, were released following the Unger v. State decision— 97% did not recidivate. 

The evidence is overwhelming, and the human and financial costs of doing nothing are undeniable. We invite you to join us as a co‑sponsor of this legislation, intended to take a data‑driven, humane, and fiscally responsible approach to solve a crisis that is already upon us. We can no longer afford inaction.