Res. No. 252 Title Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to adopt, and the Governor to sign into law, the Geriatric and Older Prisoner Act of 2001. Body By Council Members Weprin and Seabrook Whereas, In 2000, the number of inmates age fifty and older doubled compared to only a decade ago; and Whereas, There are over 125,000 inmates age fifty and older in the United States, with 35,000 over the age of sixty-five; and Whereas, The cost of housing older inmates has been found to be almost three times that of housing younger inmates; and Whereas, For both humanitarian and economic reasons, a number of states, including Virginia, Maryland, Louisiana and Washington, D.C., have instituted a Project for Older Prisoners (POPS), providing early release for certain eligible older prisoners; and Whereas, These POPS programs have achieved cost savings by freeing up prison space for violent offenders, and by reducing medical costs normally incurred by older inmates, who have been found to suffer an average of three chronic illnesses and tend to be physiologically seven years older than their chronological age due to their incarceration; and Whereas, Criminal justice experts indicate that the likelihood of committing a new offense decreases as people age, thus diminishing the risk to public safety if older inmates are released; and Whereas, Legislation currently pending in the State Legislature, S.3740, introduced by Senator Maltese, and A.7300, introduced by Assemblyman Lentol, known as the "Geriatric and Older Prisoner Act of 2001," would create such a program in New York State, to be administered by the State Department of Correctional Services in cooperation with the Division of Parole; and Whereas, Under the proposed legislation, any inmate who is sixty years of age or older would be eligible for consideration to receive geriatric parole, home electronic detention or correctional nursing care; and Whereas, The legislation would also require an annual report to be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature on the progress of the program, including the achievement of specific goals, program components and the status of participants; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the State Legislature to adopt, and the Governor to sign into law, the Geriatric and Older Prisoner Act of 2001. 00000000- -