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THE FORTUNE NEWS
A FORTUNE SOCIETY PUBLICATION • VOLUME XLVI • MAY 2015
AGING
AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
“THE DEGREE OF CIVILIZATION IN A SOCIETY CAN BE JUDGED BY
ENTERING ITS PRISONS” —DOSTOYEVSKY
www.fortunesociety.org
The Fortune News 1
Table of Contents
JoAnne Page, President/CEO - Introduction
Eye On Fortune
Letter To The Editor / Letter To Readers
Three Faces Of Fortune
David Rothenberg, Founder - Our Overwhelming Need To Punish
Addressing The Aging-In-Prison Crisis
The Race To De-Carcerate
Learning Best Practices In Working With Older Formerly Incarcerated Residents
Supportive Housing Services For Older Adults At Fortune
Withstanding The “Aging Tsunami”
How To Prepare For The Unprecedented Growth Of Aging Individuals In Prison
DRCPP - Ronald Day: A Stain In The Archives Of American History
Center Stage / Crossword
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14
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Our Mission
The Fortune Society's mission is to support successful reentry from prison and
promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of
our communities.
We do this by:
BELIEVING in the power of individuals to change;
BUILDING LIVES through service programs shaped by the needs and experience
of our clients; and
CHANGING MINDS through education and advocacy to promote the creation of a
fair, humane, and truly rehabilitative correctional system.
Contact Us
212.691.7554
info@fortunesociety.org
The Fortune Society
29-76 Northern Blvd
Long Island City, NY 11101
Walk-in Hours:
Monday through Friday
8:00am - 4:00pm
On The Cover
Photographer Ron Levine took the photo of William Howard “Tex” Johnson when Johnson was 67 and serving time for snatching $24 in 1959 in Birmingham, AL. The
photo is part of the “Prisoners of Age” series – at www.prisonersofage.com --that includes interviews with elderly inmates and corrections personnel conducted in prisons
throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more on Ron Levine, go to www.ronlevinephotography.com.
The Fortune News
www.fortunesociety.org
Introduction
Early release for those over age 55 who have already served long prison terms
would save money and give people a better quality of life during the aging process.
minimal risk to public safety by releasing
them to supportive housing, along with
other reentry services and community supervision. The project would generate a
savings of $3 to $6 for every dollar spent
because of the reduction in spending on
incarceration!
JOANNE PAGE
President & CEO
The Fortune Society
In 2005, we created an edition of The
Fortune News that focused on our aging
prison population. Today, 10 years later,
this issue has become even more crucial
for us here at The Fortune Society.
Back then, I emphasized the crisis of
long-term incarceration of older adults
-- largely a result of increased long sentences and “three strikes” laws. I had
proposed the idea that many of the men
and women aging behind bars could be
released to the community without undue
risk and with enormous savings in human
suffering and dollars spent on incarceration. Now, we are working to make that
possibility a reality.
Recognizing the steady increase in older
adults over age 55 in prison – more than
tripling from 1995 to 2010 from 2.3% to
7.2% of the total NYS prison population
-- we are working on a proposal called
Seniors Released to Services (SRS).
This project would provide an alternative to incarceration for seniors who pose
We are pitching this idea to government
officials, funders, and other key stakeholders to capture their interest in supporting this project. Our vision is that a
pilot group of 20 people could live at our
nationally recognized supportive reentry
save money but give people a better quality of life during the aging process.
A model that supports people returning
to the community as they enter into their
older years would recognize that these
aging individuals need and deserve a supportive, caring environment to address
their complex health care and supportive
service needs. It would allow for them to
mend the fractured bonds with any family
and friends still living in the community
and to develop new bonds with peers and
social services staff and volunteers.
The project would generate a savings of $3 to $6
for every dollar spent because of the reduction in
spending on incarceration!
housing facility -- the Fortune Academy
(“the Castle”) -- in West Harlem and receive holistic services in combination
with housing. If proven successful, the
model could be scaled up and replicated
in other localities in New York and across
the country.
Most importantly, it would be a step in
the right direction in reforming our criminal justice system that too often gives out
overly harsh, long sentences at great expense to taxpayers, while also inflicting
enormous amounts of unnecessary human suffering.
Given the steady rise in the percentage of
incarcerated individuals who are in their
older years -- which stands at roughly
17% of the state’s prison population today -- we need to do a better job of meeting their needs in a more humane way …
and we can do so without jeopardizing
public safety. We know that early release
for those over age 55 who have already
served long prison terms would not only
JoAnne Page, President and CEO of The
Fortune Society, has over 35 years’ experience in criminal justice, with the last 26
at the helm of The Fortune Society, a nonprofit organization that has been recognized by researchers and policy makers
as a pioneer in assisting former prisoners
to reintegrate into society.
www.fortunesociety.org
The Fortune News 1
Eye on Fortune
“RUNNING IS SO
EXHILARATING”
In 2012, The Fortune Society began its
community partner relationship with the
New York City Marathon by creating
a team to run the marathon and to raise
funds for our programs.
Board member Gerald Eber, along with
many others, brought together 10 runners
and raised thousands of dollars. However, after months of planning and training, our plans were abruptly halted -- as
were those of all New Yorkers -- by Super
Storm Sandy. But like all New Yorkers,
we rebounded, pulled together another
team (The Fortune Flyers), and moved
forward with plans for 2013. Once more,
Board member Gerald Eber helped put
together a 10-member team, including
one client, from the Fortune Academy
(“The Castle”), Jerry Rahming.
“Running is so exhilarating,” said Rahming. “Running makes me feel better
physically and psychologically. I want
to thank my friends at Back on My Feet
NYC who have helped me so much with
my training. But running to raise money
for The Fortune Society is most important. I spent over 29 years in prison and it
has been a bigger challenge than running
to reenter mainstream society.”
2013 was a great success -- Rahming
finished the race and Fortune raised
over $20,000 for its programs. And from
there, we went onto 2014. After thinking
he might be done with running marathons, he decided to do it again and even
2
brought along another Fortune client,
Souleo Kirby. Rahming and Kirby both
finished the race, cheered along from the
sidelines by Fortune staff, and even more
money was raised – over $36,000 for Fortune’s programs.
The Fortune Society looks forward to
maintaining its partnership with the New
York City Marathon in 2015 and in years
to come. Training for a marathon is hard.
But getting out there and pushing yourself past where you thought you could
go is what The Fortune Society has been
about for almost 50 years. Whether it’s
getting an education or a job, you have to
believe in yourself, and with that and the
support of a team, you can achieve your
goals.
The 2015 Marathon will take place on
Nov 1. To support the Fortune Flyers, donate here:
www.crowdrise.com/fortunesocietyflyers
GREEN JOBS GRADUATION
Green Jobs graduating class of December 2014.
Last December, Fortune held one of its
most gratifying events -- a graduation.
This time, it consisted of 20 men who
had completed the Green Jobs Training
program and who earned their certificates
in environmental remediation and construction. The program has been offered
at Fortune since 2012 when it was first
funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Laura Senkevitch, the Manager of Training and Transitional Programs at The
Fortune Society, developed the curriculum with community stakeholders and
The Fortune News
employers, including the Newtown Creek
Alliance and Smiling Hogshead Ranch -both based in Long Island City, Queens
where The Fortune Society operates.
“It’s a pretty intense program,” said Senkevitch. “My field is in environmental
planning. I used to teach at a college
level and I haven’t changed much of my
curriculum for this. It’s not really something someone could do part-time and not
something for someone who is just exploring a career in this. They need to be
really committed.”
The program has been successful in its
first two years of operation. There is a
90% completion rate in the Green Jobs
Training Program and a 70% job placement rate.
“The starting wages are pretty great
compared to someone who was formerly
incarcerated and just goes through our
general job training without specific
vocational training,” said Senkevitch.
“Someone like that typically makes $10
an hour while a graduate from this program makes about $16 an hour.”
Many of the men will go on to work on
construction sites, conducting asbestos
removal and other environmental treatments. A past graduate was recently hired
as a floor associate at Build It Green!, a
construction materials reclamation shop
in Brooklyn. In the last 18 months, 56
graduates found full-time work. Companies that have hired Fortune’s green
graduates include Langan Engineering,
Professional Construction Group of New
York, CityView Masonry, McKissak &
McKissak, and others.
“We could not be more proud of our graduates as they prepare to enter the workforce,” said JoAnne Page, President and
CEO of The Fortune Society. “Through
hard work, dedication, and opportunity,
these men have been able to build a specialized skillset that they can now apply
to real-world situations.”
www.fortunesociety.org
THE TRANSITION NETWORK
(TTN)/EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
PARTNERSHIP
Fortune Board Chair Betty Rauch receives her
certificate, along with the rest of the TTN team,
celebrating the one-year anniversary of the
Fortune-TTN partnership.
In the November 2014 issue of The
Fortune News, our Board Chair, Betty
Rauch, wrote an article called “A Perfect Match” about the partnership between Fortune and TTN. We are thrilled
to announce that on March 19, 2015, The
Fortune Society celebrated the one-year
anniversary of one of its most successful
volunteer partnerships. The Transition
Network (TTN) is a group of professional
women – and a few men -- over the age
of 50 whose changing life situations led
them to seek new connections, resources,
and opportunities.
As she wrote in the last issue, Fortune’s
Board Chair and TTN member, Betty
Rauch, saw a great opportunity for partnership between TTN and the Employment Services (ES) Department at Fortune. Working with Eileen Kobrin and ES
Director, Ann Travers, they have compiled a team of over 20 people who each
dedicate several hours a week conducting
mock interviews and reviewing resumes
with Fortune clients in our ES workshop.
The professional experience they bring
to our clients is invaluable in preparing
them for real-life interviews. But even
more important is the time they spend
giving personal feedback, listening to the
apprehensions and fears that Fortune’s
participants have in entering a sometimes
completely unfamiliar job market.
In the past year, the group has put in over
600 hours of one-on-one time with men
and women who just want to earn a decent living. Those hours translate into a
lifetime of experience and knowledge,
and also turn into friendships and the
breaking down of barriers among people.
Everyone has gone on a first interview, or
felt like their backgrounds maybe didn’t
prepare them for a career they really
wanted. But with confidence and preparation, you can walk into an interview
and know that, no matter what happens,
you have a chance. The TTN team gives
that confidence to Fortune’s participants
and, for that, we -- and they -- couldn’t be
more grateful.
To learn more, visit:
www.thetransitionnetwork.org
Do you want to live with your family after you are released?
Does your family live in public housing?
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has launched
The NYCHA Family Reentry Pilot
HOW IT WORKS
This program is designed to reunite individuals leaving prison and jail within the last 36 months (3 years)
back with their families who live in public housing, and to provide reentry services. Eligible participants are
identified before release or by a participating provider after release. Participants will be allowed to move in
with their families for a period of two years. The participant must successfully complete case management
services and obtain employment or relevant treatment programs. At the end of the two years, the pilot participant can be added to the lease with no additional requirements.
IF INTERESTED, OR FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Gregory Cianca at (347) 510-3691.
www.fortunesociety.org
The Fortune News 3
Letter to the
Editor
ILLINOIS’ SELF-IMPOSED
DILEMMA
I am a 71-year-old inmate who has been
incarcerated for 36-plus consecutive years,
the first nine on Death Row.
At last count, the Illinois Department of
Corrections (IDOC) housed close to 6,000
“graying” inmates (those 50 years of age
and older) -- a group of which I happen to
be a member. At one time, those inmates
represented 5% of the IDOC prison population. In the last decade, that figure has
grown to nearly 13%. If the trend continues, that number will double by 2020.
The graying prison population in Illinois is
placing new demands on an already-burdened prison healthcare system that forces
medical workers to provide subpar medical
care and has already resulted in numerous lawsuits. Inmates here are regularly
told by healthcare staff that they cannot
receive certain medical care because it’s
too expensive -- or because the inmates are
too old and will probably die before the
medicine does them any good.
In my case, our former medical director
told me his job was to save his medical
care provider’s money, not inmate’s
lives.
Illinois spends $428 million annually -- or
about one–third of its total budget -- on
older inmates.
Since Illinois eliminated the parole system
several years ago, the only option currently available for the release of inmates
is a clemency petition. However, in recent
years, there have been controversial yet
very realistic house bills presented to the
Illinois Legislature to address the matter of the graying population in this state.
The initial bill, HB4154, was presented
in 2008. It would have enabled inmates
who have served 25 consecutive years
and reached the age of 50 to apply for an
Earned Sentence Adjustment.
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With most long-term older inmates who
see no possibility of release, there is
no incentive to adjust their behavior to
comply with the social norms of prison life
let alone attempt to squeeze into whatever
programs may be available. Yet, many of
us have done just that. Through introspection and increased motivation, we have
grown in mind, spirit, understanding, and
compassion. Most older inmates, having
already served 25-40 years or more, bear
little resemblance to the person they were
when they entered prison. We have paid
our debt to society many times over.
For anyone who doesn’t believe that, I
have a question for you: “Just how much
time or punishment actually cures a
crime?” It should also be noted that our
recidivism rate is below 2%.
Truth and solidarity now –
Peace after the struggle,
Cornelius Lewis
Stateville Correctional Center
Joliet, IL
There are letters about brutal and damaging situations in various institutions, others
are about serious medical situations, and
more than a few are about seeking legal
representation.
I’ve attempted to locate support and legal
services in various states. Too many people, being released in states far from New
York, reveal they don’t know of programs
in their state. We try to keep informed of
various support organizations around the
country. In some cities and states, there are
very few. Most non-profit organizations,
like The Fortune Society, rely on volunteers who enable us to maintain information about programs around the country.
We cannot offer legal counsel, but we can
provide information about law groups that
are available for incarcerated persons.
We attempt to respond to all mail, but
some guidelines need to be offered for you
to receive the most helpful response. Since
we receive hundreds of letters each week,
it would be most effective if:
•
You try to express your need in one or
two pages. State at the beginning of
the letter what you are seeking.
•
YOU CAN BE YOUR BEST
ADVOCATE
If it is a legal matter, state that briefly.
Don’t send 40 or 50 pages of legal
arguments to us because we can only
refer you to law groups. Save money
and time.
•
Each week, The Fortune Society receives
hundreds of letters from incarcerated men
and women from all over the country. A
staff person, with help from volunteers,
reads each letter and attempts to give an
appropriate response.
Don’t send the same letter to three or
four people. All mail will be referred
to our staff person who handles inmate correspondence.
•
Letters about institutional abuses will
be seriously considered.
Letter to Our
Readers
Many of those letters request copies of
our newsletter. New York inmates facing
parole seek letters of support so that, upon
their release, they can utilize the services
of The Fortune Society, which include
individual and family counseling, education programs, career and job guidance, a
center that provides therapy, and help in
finding safe housing.
The Fortune News
You can be your best advocate. It makes
it easier for others to advocate on your
behalf.
Yours truly,
David Rothenberg
Founder and Former Executive Director
The Fortune Society
www.fortunesociety.org
Three Faces of Fortune
PAUL STALLINGS
Participant
Paul Stallings
has been a client at Fortune
for six years. He
was raised in
Astoria, Queens
where he attended PS 4 and
went on to high
school in Manhattan but never
graduated.
After being
incarcerated, Paul moved to Brooklyn and
came to Fortune in 2008 and enrolled in the
Education Department. After a few years,
a new opportunity opened up at Fortune
– acting classes. The Public Theater had
brought to Fortune a new program called
Public Works. Paul had thought about being
onstage before but had never pursued it. He
signed up for the first scene class which resulted in a performance for fellow Fortune
participants. From there, he auditioned for
the inaugural production of Public Works,
The Tempest, at the Delacorte Theater in
Central Park in 2013, and he was on his
way to the big stage.
Paul had been offered a new opportunity
and said “why not?” He could make people
laugh and have fun, and Public Works
helped him develop those skills. He also
got to work with people who have become
as much a family as he has ever had. When
the opportunity for the second show came
along, he had to take it. And in September 2014, he auditioned for The Winter’s
Tale and once again found himself at the
Delacorte Theatre acting in front of 2,000
people.
Paul had a significant role in the performances of the Fortune Tellers as part of
the Spring Arts Series and the 2nd Annual
Fortune Arts Festival in April 2015. He is
very excited about continuing his participation in Arts/Theater programs and plans to
audition for the 2015 Public Works production at the Delacorte Theater in Central
Park. He’s still working on his education,
but with newfound passion and confidence.
Being at Fortune and taking advantage of
the programs offered has taught him that he
really can do anything.
On March
13, 2015,
Nancy Lopez
celebrated
26 years at
The Fortune
Society.
When JoAnne
Page took
over Fortune
as CEO,
NANCY LOPEZ
Nancy was
Staff
her first hire
after having been transferred from Bedford
Hills Correctional Facility to a work-release program. Nancy was then referred to
Fortune by Diana Davila-Ross, a counselor
at Fortune, who Nancy had met during her
incarceration.
Nancy became the Administrative Assistant for The Counseling Unit. She had no
idea she would be here for 26 years.
Throughout her journey at Fortune, she
knew she had found her calling. If she had
continued on her path before prison, she
would have ended up dead or just doing
more time. She recognized that Fortune
provided an alternative to a life of crime
not only for herself but for others. As her
roles at Fortune continued to grow, she
became a Counselor, Senior Counselor,
Manager, and Director. She also became
the name of Fortune throughout the prison
system.
Nancy has a gift of empathizing with clients, listening to their story, as well as welcoming and assessing their needs as they
come in through our doors. Nancy feels
she is Fortune and loves what the agency
stands for. Many Fortune participants and
her staff have grown in their careers both
at Fortune and outside of Fortune thanks
to Nancy.
PAUL “PABLO”
COSTELLO
Intern
Paul “Pablo”
Costello has
been interning
at The Fortune
Society since
August 18,
2014. He came
to Fortune after
having been
incarcerated for
35 years.
It was through
mutual friends
and acquaintances that he found his way here and
started providing administrative support in
the Communications Department and the
David Rothenburg Center for Public Policy
(DRCPP). He has found it an enlightening
and inspiring experience. He enjoys working with a dedicated group of staff and volunteers who are supportive and passionate
about what they do, which is essentially
assisting others in getting their lives back
on track, curtailing recidivism, and making
our neighborhoods safer.
While interning at Fortune, he has learned
new marketable skills and has enhanced
the ones he already had in the use of
computers, working in an office setting as
a team player, and in public speaking. He
goes into the field to observe and report on
events involving criminal justice, social,
and civil rights issues. Pablo engages with
community leaders, directors of community-based organizations, legal groups, and
local and state public officials who are key
to the continued success of the programs
offered at Fortune, and he reports back on
what’s happening.
Pablo finds that the work at Fortune is both
rewarding and that it instills a sense of
pride knowing that he’s a part of something that changes lives for the better.
Nancy is currently the Director of Admissions. When she leaves, she is certain she
will have a feeling of fulfillment knowing
that she touched many lives throughout her
journey.
www.fortunesociety.org
The Fortune News 5
On the Record:
Notes from Our Founder
Our Overwhelming Need To Punish
Taxpayers should insist that their money be better utilized than maintaining a 70-year-old man at
$65,000 a year.
frequently become mentors to young people, but they are denied by parole boards,
usually for “the nature of the crime.” As a
result, men and women eligible for release
are facing parole boards which assume the
roles of judge and jury. Parole boards are
traditionally an elephant’s graveyard for
retired prosecutors and sheriffs.
DAVID ROTHENBERG
Founder
Nearly all prisoners over the age of 65
could be released without posing a threat
to public safety, particularly those who
have been encaged 20 years or more. Why
does this not happen, considering the high
cost of imprisoning an individual?
Follow the money.
In an era of declining crime, prisons
remain at capacity. Some corporations,
which make generous contributions to numerous state legislators around the nation,
have huge contracts with a multitude of
correctional institutions. Since the draconian drug laws of the ’70s and the closing
of several military posts, America has been
invaded by the prison/industrial complex.
There are big profits in the prison game.
Add to that the prison unions that are fearful of job losses when there is a reduction
in crime. The powerful correction unions
fight efforts to close institutions and they
provide effective political pressure.
Television crime shows dominate the
airwaves, conveying a distorted view of
crime in our time. Of course there is crime,
but we have to confront the reality of it,
not the fictionalized versions on continuous re-runs.
Most inmates over 65 who have been
incarcerated for more than 20 years have
participated in all the programs offered,
6
The greatest single influence on behavior
is time. Inmates in penitentiaries are doing
penance. They grow wiser, more sensible, and self-aware, ready to make their
remaining years productive.
Well, maybe not everyone. Defenders of
the status quo can always point a finger
at a few recalcitrant elders, ignoring the
truth of the overwhelming majority. People
are retained as prisoners to keep the cells
filled; their individual potential is disregarded.
At The Fortune Academy (“the Castle”),
there are always a half dozen residents
over 60 years of age with 20 to 40 years
of prison behind them. Invariably, they
are the voices of conscience, guiding
younger men and women to make sensible
and responsible life choices. To a person,
these strivers reveal that there are dozens
of others just like them, ready to assume a
new life.
Parole is sometimes blamed for releasing
someone too early. In fact, holding someone too long is more damaging. I would
suggest that, throughout America, there are
several thousand men and women over 65
who could be released. There must be postrelease support, enabling a senior with 30
years of prison life to make a safe adjustment. Guidance upon release is much less
costly than maintaining a person in a cage.
There are political and pragmatic specifics
to be confronted. We must ask the question: “What kind of country do we want to
The Fortune News
be?” And wonder whether “forgiveness”
is merely a word to be used in Sunday sermons but forgotten on Monday morning.
We often ask incarcerated persons, particularly at parole hearings, if they have
remorse for the crime that brought them to
prison. This is ironic because there is little
in prison that affords self-reflection.
In spite of all that, as men and women
grow older, they reflect and understand.
Has anyone ever challenged a parole board
if they have remorse for denying freedom
to someone they know is ready but political pressure dictates otherwise?
Taxpayers should insist that their money be
better utilized than maintaining a 70-yearold man at $65,000 a year. They should
also consider salvaging human lives.
There are a multitude of fiscal reasons to
reduce the prison population. That argument can be made effectively, but I will
leave it to others to put it forth.
I’m talking about human life and the sad
reality that, in America, our need to punish is greater than our need to solve our
problems. Seniors in prison is an issue to
consider.
AARP, take note!
David Rothenberg is the founder and first
Executive Director of The Fortune Society,
a position he served for 18 years.
www.fortunesociety.org
Addressing The Aging-In-Prison Crisis
To address the growing concern of aging prison populations and to mitigate subsequent reentry challenges, various initiatives are cropping up nationwide.
By Julie Smyth and Cynthia Golembeski
The United States contains 5% of the global
population, yet has 25% of the world’s
prisoners. The War on Drugs commenced in
the late ‘70s whereas mandatory minimum
and punitive sentencing measures such
as “three strikes” led to skyrocketing
incarceration
rates.
Along
with
disproportionately incarcerating people of
color by the millions comes the enmeshed
consequences of those prisoners growing
old behind bars, some of whom may reenter
a society that has drastically changed during
the years while they were away.
The aging prison population rate is
growing more rapidly than the overall
prison population rate. Fordham University
Professor Tina Maschi has identified a
critical Omega point in which correctional
institutions are no longer capable of
providing appropriate and compassionate
standards of care in light of the critical mass
and unique needs of aging prisoners.
At what age someone is considered “elderly”
is up for debate. However, the typical age
range is 50 to 65. The National Commission
on Correctional Health Care Prisoners
identifies age 55 as “elderly” because
inmates tend to be physiologically 10 years
older than their chronological age. Maschi
and Prof. Ronald Aday underscore the
importance of understanding chronological
age in comparison to biological age in
considering health status and health care
experiences and needs of aging justiceinvolved men and women. Exposure to
traumatic experiences, the exacerbation of
existing health conditions, and inadequate
services contribute to accelerated aging and
further compromise the health and wellbeing of those who are aging in prison.
While prisons are exorbitantly expensive
overall, a great deal of the cost burden is
due to health care for aging prisoners who
pose very minimal risk to public safety, if
any at all. In New York, only 7% of released
prisoners between the ages of 50 and 64
Artist Larry Mocks’ created this mixed-media work, “Time’s Up,” while incarcerated. It is courtesy of Phyllis Kornfeld who was Mocks’ teacher/facilitator. Learn more about Kornfeld’s work
with incarcerated men and women and their art at http://cellblockvisions.com.
returned to prison for new convictions
within three years. That percentage drops to
4% for prisoners age 65 and older.
To address the growing concern of
aging prison populations and to mitigate
subsequent reentry challenges, various
programs and initiatives are emerging
nationwide. This article highlights two
such initiatives -- the Senior Ex-Offender
Program (SEOP) in San Francisco and the
Aging Reentry Task Force’s Community
Reintegration Pilot Case Management
Model in New York City. SEOP and NYC’s
pilot case management model both aim to
support aging justice-involved men and
women in reengaging with their respective
communities and to encourage peerbased support. Such programs are filling
critical service and advocacy gaps, thus
replication of such social service programs
and advocacy campaigns are encouraged
nationwide.
Senior Ex-Offender Program
(SEOP) -- San Francisco
The Senior Ex-Offender Program (SEOP)
is the first-ever program specifically for
seniors returning from incarceration. In
existence since 2002, SEOP has grown over
time and now serves approximately 200
formerly incarcerated seniors each year.
Based in San Francisco, SEOP is a subset
of the Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose
Senior Services, Inc. (BHPMSS). At the
heart of BHPMSS’s mission is the belief
that “all people deserve to age with dignity,
honor, and respect.” As a program under
the umbrella of BHPMSS, SEOP maintains
this mission but is specifically “committed
to restoring self-respect of their participants
through social modeling, providing care,
guidance and services, and finding solutions
to the challenges” faced by individuals
coming home from prison. One criterion
that sets SEOP apart from other programs
is the low age of eligibility -- 50 years old.
www.fortunesociety.org
The Fortune News 7
The program’s director, Frank Williams,
recognizes the extensive challenges of
coming home from prison, particularly
the double-stigma associated with being
elderly and having a criminal record.
SEOP utilizes a continuum-of-care
model, reaching individuals prior to their
release and supporting them through their
reintegration. By connecting with program
participants prior to release, SEOP is able to
triage the most important aspect of reentry,
such as access to medical care and safe
housing.
Addiction,
HIV/AIDS,
diabetes,
hypertension, cardiovascular disease,
and depression are some of the more
common health conditions among program
participants. Co-occurring conditions are
overrepresented among aging justiceinvolved populations and many conditions
often go undetected and untreated.
Unemployment is also a crucial concern.
To meet this wide range of needs, SEOP
provides counseling, social supports, case
management, and referrals to meet the
specific needs of participants. SEOP also
offers more tangible resources, such as
clothing, hygiene products, and meals.
SEOP’s targeted housing program seeks
to address the particular vulnerability of
homelessness among formerly incarcerated
aging men and women. The “housing
first” model is utilized by many social
service agencies across the country, and
SEOP follows suit. SEOP’s transitional
housing program targets seniors who may
be homeless upon release, allows them
time to secure permanent housing, and
also provides the social supports necessary
during this transition.
SEOP’s wrap-around services address the
unique challenges of seniors coming home
from prison. As more aging prisoners are
being released back into the community,
greater attention must be paid to their
reintegration needs. SEOP serves as a
replicable model that senior centers can
adopt in order to help older men and women
age with dignity, honor, and respect.
8
NYC’s Aging Reentry Task Force’s
Community Reintegration Pilot
Case Management Model
Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP),
Fordham University’s Be the Evidence
Project, the Florence V. Burden
Foundation, Columbia University’s The
Justice Initiative, the NYC Department
of Aging, and The Osborne Association
form the steering committee of the NYC
Community Reintegration Pilot Case
Management Model. Crucial to the task
force is RAPP’s involvement as its own
collaborative, multidisciplinary task force
whose initiatives include public education
campaigns and working with community
boards to welcome aging justice-involved
men and women home. RAPP “aims
to mobilize currently and formerly
incarcerated individuals, their families, and
other concerned community members in
efforts designed to increase parole-release
rates for aging people in prison who pose
no threat to public safety -- if the risk is
low, let them go.” Founded by Mujahid
Farid and Laura Whitehorn, RAPP implores
the governor and other policymakers to
maximize the utility of existing mechanisms
such as parole, compassionate release, and
clemency as well as to pass the Safe and
Fair Evaluations (SAFE) Parole Act to
increase parole release rates for all.
The Osborne Association, which has
vocalized concerns over the moral, ethical,
public health, and public safety implications
of the current aging prison population
crisis, encourages a multi-sector dialogue
and cross-pollination of ideas among
interdisciplinary stakeholders.
The flexible pilot case management model
was designed for organizations to use to
help prisoners more seamlessly reintegrate
into society after a lengthy prison term.
Such flexibility enables greater adaptability
by a range of organizations with varying
degrees of access to men and women
who are in prison, are awaiting release, or
are on parole. The task force determined
that, in 2012, approximately 366 people
The Fortune News
aged 60 or older were released from NYS
prisons of which 46% will return to NYC
neighborhoods. Although many men and
women will have served a lengthy prison
term, the amount of support that they need
or desire may vary considerably.
The age eligibility criterion for NYC’s pilot
program is age 60 or older at time of release,
which may increase ease of access to other
aging services programs, which share the
same age eligibility criteria. The task force
has also limited eligibility to those who
have spent 10 years or more in prison given
the widespread evidence of decreased risk
of recidivism among those with longer
sentences. Knowledge of the nature of
the crime is helpful to case managers in
securing appropriate services, such as
housing, in compliance with certain laws
or rules. In light of the eligibility criteria
and the intensity of the program, the task
force anticipates the NYC pilot program
may initially serve 20 or more individuals
annually. The case managers are perceived
as “the lifeblood of the program” and the
primary mode of service delivery. Ideally,
case managers should possess both aging
and criminal justice knowledge sets, values,
and skills, which include being culturally
competent, free of isms, advocacy-oriented,
and a team player. In addition to the pilot
program, related services, and peer-based
supports, the task force is developing
resource directories, community education
curricula, and provider training programs.
Moving Forward
Leading advocacy and human rights
organizations -- including the ACLU,
Human Rights Watch, and Vera Institute
for Justice -- have shined a spotlight on
the detrimental effects of the punishment
paradigm and disproportionately lengthy
prison terms. Their research and advocacy
efforts suggest keeping aging people in
prison abets “elder abuse,” which the World
Health Organization defines as “a single or
repeated act or lack of appropriate action
occurring within any relationship where
there is an expectation of trust which causes
www.fortunesociety.org
harm or distress to an older person.” The
ACLU and others urge repeal of mandatory
minimum, habitual offender, and truth in
sentencing laws, and propose other shortterm reform efforts -- grant conditional
release for aging prisoners who pose little
security risk, utilize and expand medical
parole (compassionate release), increase
accountability and transparency of parole
boards, and reauthorize and expand federal
aging prisoner release.
Maschi underscores the importance of
competency
among
interdisciplinary
programs and professionals in working
within the intersection of aging and criminal
justice:
“When considering the important task of
bridging older adults from prisons to their
families and communities, issues of elder
and intergenerational justice are invoked.
The pathways to prison vary for older
adults in prison and one or more cumulative
disadvantages or inequalities, related to
race, education, socioeconomic status,
gender, disability, legal or immigration
status, can influence their access to health
and social services, economic resources,
and justice.”
More often than not, aging men and
women who are currently incarcerated or
who are returning home have experienced
a lifetime of unequal access to health and
social services. Moral as well as economic
reasons support improved public health and
justice reform efforts and more integrated
resources that address the needs of those
who are aging and currently incarcerated,
under community supervision, and
reentering the community.
Julie Smyth holds a Masters of Science in
Social Work from Columbia University.
She has spent her career in criminal
justice, and currently is a criminal practice
social worker at The Bronx Defenders,
an innovative, holistic, and nationally
recognized public defense office. She is
published on topics of incarcerated women
and the collateral consequences of mass
incarceration.
Cynthia Golembeski is a health policy
researcher and educator at The Fortune
Society who primarily works on a structural
intervention which supports healthcare
providers in delivering culturally competent
HIV prevention and care services to justiceinvolved men and women, and contributes
to related policy/advocacy efforts. She has
supported public health and justice reform
efforts in urban areas within California,
New York, and Sub-Saharan Africa,
including South Africa. She completed
undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley
and received an MPH from Columbia
University.
Fekeiki, O. (2006). Profile: Bayview Hunter’s
Point: Program gives senior ex-offenders a second
change. Retrieved from, http://journalism.berkeley.
edu/ngno/reports/bayview/bvhp_10_1206.html
Human Rights Watch. (2012). Old behind bars:
The aging prison population in the U.S.. Retrieved
from, http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/
usprisons0112webwcover_0.pdf
Law, V. (2014, January 19). If the risk is low, let
them go: Efforts to resolve the growing numbers of
aging behind bars. Retrieved from,
http://truth-out.org/news/item/21120-if-the-risk-islow-let-them-go-efforts-to-resolve-the-growingnumbers-of-aging-behind-bars
Maschi, T. et al. (In Press). Bridging Community
and Prison for Older Adults: Invoking Human
Rights and Elder and Intergenerational Family
Justice. International Journal of Prisoner Health.
Maschi, T. and Aday, R. (2014). The Social
Determinants of Health and Justice and the Aging
in Prison Crisis: A Call for Human Rights Action.
International Journal of Social Work.
References
Aday, R. & Farney, L. (2014). Malign neglect:
Assessing older women’s health care experiences in
prison. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry. DOI 10.1007/
s11673-014-9561-0
American Civil Liberties Union (2012), “The mass
incarceration of the elderly.” Retrieved from: http://
www.American Civil Liberties Union.org/files/
assets/elderlyprisonreport_20120613_1.pdf
The Editorial Board. (2014, September 29). Nursing
homes behind bars. The New York Times, A26.
The Osborne Association. (2014). The high costs
of low risk: The crisis of America’s aging prison
population [White paper].. Retrieved from, http://
www.osborneny.org/images/uploads/printMedia/
Osborne_Aging_WhitePaper.pdf
Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2014). State corrections
expenditures, FY 1982-2010. U.S. Department of
Justice. New York: Tracey Kyckelhahn. Retrieved
from,
http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/
scefy8210.pdf
Day, Leila (Narrator). (2013, April 8). Where
do older prisoners go when they get out? [Radio
broadcast episode]. In Crosscurrents, KALW Local
Public Radio. San Francisco, CA: National Public
Radio.
Ellis, L. (2010, October 31). Ex-offender
program for seniors provides new lease on life
for many. The Western Edition San Francisco.
Retrieved from, http://www.thewesternedition.
com/?c=117&a=1617
www.fortunesociety.org
The Fortune News 9
The Race To De-Carcerate
Some astute anti-mass incarceration activists have outlined dangers that lie ahead.
The author echoes those sentiments here.
By Mujahid Farid
dismantling mass incarceration be centered
in the systemic elements that are fraught
with race and class prejudices.
Clearly, a vibrant movement to dismantle
mass incarceration in the United States has
been launched. Initiatives throughout the
States are being organized and are doing the
daily work turning the heat up. International
embarrassment regarding the United States’
status as the world’s greatest incarcerator -with its former slaves taking the brunt of
this brutal policy choice -- appears to worry
politicians and policymakers.
A critical issue which will determine the
success of this movement is how the people
engaged frame narratives and platforms of
their initiatives. This, of course, depends
on how one conceptualizes and promotes
the root of the problem. Some astute antimass incarceration activists have outlined
dangers that lie ahead. I echo those
sentiments here.
We at RAPP (Release Aging People in
Prison) -- an independent organizing
and policy project -- engage in ongoing
dialectical sessions to critically analyze
our strategies and progress, and to examine
stumbling blocks to success. Our approach
is to study lessons from the past and for
applicability, if any, to our current struggle.
We also recognize the importance of
listening -- listening to our own members,
listening to the views of others working
on the same or different aspects of the
mass incarceration myriad-headed beast,
and listening to the ancestors and voices
of ghosts past. It is by listening that we
agree and conclude it is axiomatic that
discussions regarding, and approaches to,
10
We have already witnessed the propensity
of some politicians, policymakers, and
even some activists to skirt the real issues
by their reluctance to commit to evidencebased approaches in policymaking,
and instead cater to a loud emotional
cacophony. It is sometimes interesting
watching them deftly sidestep the fact that
long-term and aging people in prison, who
have served considerable time for violent
offenses, are the least likely to commit
another offense upon release; and then go
on to support legislation or policy choices
that specifically exclude these people
truly entangled in an unforgiving carceral
system. While concluding that “it is a moral
imperative” to pay attention to the treatment
being meted out to people aging and dying
in prison, Jean Trounstine -- author, teacher,
and prison activist -- goes on to note that
“but for now, few even in the anti-mass
incarceration community are ready to take
on that fight.”
New York State presents an illustrative case
of this problem: RAPP has noted that over
a 12-year period in New York State, the
overall prison population was downsized
by 21% -- from 71,466 in 2000 to 56,315
in 2011. At the same time, the population of
people confined who are 50 years of age and
older increased by 81%! This astronomical
growth of the elderly can be attributed to
the failure of policymakers to give up the
inclination to perpetually punish and target
a race and class of people. Even with the
overall downsizing, New York State found
it necessary to maintain its reliance on a
system of permanent punishment and a
culture of retribution and revenge rather
than rehabilitation and healing.
fiscal concerns to be at the centerpiece
overshadowing moral implications. We
understand that this “dollars-and-sense”
approach is actually at the root of what
caused mass incarceration in the first
instance.
Writer and activist James Kilgore aptly
cautioned that “inevitably a number
of activists will (maybe already are)
measure success solely by the volume of
Congressional hearing invitations and the
number of foundation grants scored rather
than the extent of genuine movement
building.”
Little will change unless those who are
sincerely struggling to dismantle mass
incarceration understand the importance
of connecting it with the race question
that has always plagued the United States.
This cannot be avoided. When Marc
Mauer’s book Race to Incarcerate was first
published, I always fancied that the title
was a double-entendre. That is certainly my
intention here.
In the coming days, all of us should pay
close attention and listen to those who will
be engaging in the struggle against mass
incarceration. Our salvation depends on
that vigilance.
Mujahid Farid, a 2013 Soros Justice Fellow,
was incarcerated for 33 years in New York
before his release in 2011. He is the director
of RAPP (Release Aging People in Prison)
which focuses on aging people in prison.
To learn more visit:
http://rappcampaign.com/
RAPP recognizes the necessity of
collaborating with those whose primary
motivation for prison “downsizing” is
based upon fiscal concerns. At the same
time, we recognize the danger of allowing
The Fortune News
www.fortunesociety.org
Learning Best Practices In Working With Older
Formerly Incarcerated Residents
In 2012, The Fortune Society was awarded
a grant of $25,000 from Enterprise
Community Partners as part of the HUD
Sec 4 Capacity Building program. The grant
funded an innovative training initiative,
conducted in the Fall of 2012, designed
and facilitated by Dr. Ann Burack-Weiss, a
licensed clinical social worker and faculty
of the Master’s program in Narrative
Medicine at Columbia University.
Dr. Ann Burack-Weiss
Relying upon over three decades’
experience researching and writing about
gerontological issues, Dr. Burack-Weiss
trained Fortune’s Housing Staff in best
practices around engaging older residents,
with particular focus on those residents
inclined to isolate themselves.
In speaking with Fortune case managers
and housing specialists, Dr. Burack-Weiss
learned that many of Fortune’s older
male residents were hesitant to engage
in social interactions for fear of resorting
to detrimental behaviors in which they
had engaged prior to incarceration. She
explained that, to better engage and
promote meaningful contact with our older
residents, Fortune staff needed to first do a
thorough assessment of not just residents’
basic needs, but a holistic life profile.
This profile should provide an at-a-glance
overview of background, familial, and
behavioral and physical health information
to all staff working with the resident.
Upon conducting this assessment, Fortune
staff could then move to the next step of
improving older resident engagement by
working with individuals in small groups
attuned to their interests and goals. Dr.
Burack-Weiss also recommended that
Fortune staff address the “silos” that often
emerge among service providers for older
adults, and to create linkages and a referral
system that helps connect the dots for
residents in order to ensure a comprehensive
continuum of care.
Angela Scott, LMSW, Fortune’s Program
Supervisor of Scatter Site Housing, attended
all of Dr. Burack-Weiss’s trainings which
she found to be extremely informative as
both a clinical refresher to what she had
learned in graduate school, as well as a
way to see older residents through a more
refined lens. Ms. Scott recently reported
that significant results have emerged in the
past two and a half years since the trainings
-- Housing staff have begun using eco-maps
(a graphical representation that shows all of
the systems at play in an individual’s life)
to assist in counseling older residents. Staff
are also continually revising and further
streamlining the content of Fortune’s
program forms in order to ensure not
only contract compliance, but immediate
visibility of resident needs.
On the social engagement front, Ms. Scott
has seen increased turnout at Fortune’s
communal dinners, especially around the
holidays, as a result of staff’s concerted
efforts to engage residents deeply on a
personal level. Housing staff have also
improved linkages with city agencies and
service providers, and are using Fortune’s
popular weekly community meetings as a
vehicle for feedback and education as to
the community resources available to our
residents.
Angela Scott
Ann Burack-Weiss, PhD, LCSW, is a social
work practitioner, educator, and consultant.
She taught for three decades at the
Columbia School of Social Work and is now
Associate Faculty in the graduate program
in Narrative Medicine.
Angela Scott, LMSW, is Fortune’s Program
Supervisor of Scatter Site Housing. She is
a graduate of Hunter College where she
earned her MSW in 2005. She has 10-plus
years in the human services field.
It’s SPRING in NYC!
The “Sky Garden” on the rooftop
of Castle Gardens is in full bloom
Perhaps most notably, according to
Ms. Scott, as a result of this training,
Fortune staff have become more effective
advocates and partners in the lives of our
older residents. In doing so, staff have
celebrated and supported older residents’
independence, while providing a lifelong safety net in the form of housing and
culturally competent support services.
www.fortunesociety.org
The Fortune News 11
Supportive Housing Services For Older Adults
At The Fortune Society
For older adults coming home after so many years, our model of reentry services is
the key to success, allowing people to both give and receive the support they need
just when they need it.
Our approach to working with the formerly
incarcerated aging population is best
demonstrated at our reentry housing
facilities in West Harlem.
We first opened our emergency and
transitional housing, The Fortune Academy
(which we nicknamed “the Castle” for its
gothic appearance), in 2002. Then, in 2010,
we opened our newest housing facility,
Castle Gardens, a permanent supportive
and affordable “green” building that serves
both formerly incarcerated clients and other
low-income families.
At both buildings, we frequently say
“Welcome home!” to older individuals
returning home from long prison sentences.
So many of them have lost connections to
friends and family and would otherwise be
homeless upon their release. In addition,
they often have complicated medical needs,
along with ongoing issues related to past
substance abuse and mental health histories,
presenting a complex array of challenges
that they must face in the reentry process.
“After so many years of incarceration, I had no one to
return to and I felt that
society had rejected me.
Fortune filled that void.”
- Ummo R.
At Fortune, we recognize the unique
vulnerability of the older adult population.
For example, we’ve learned that some older
adults who are former substance users will
voluntarily isolate themselves within their
apartments to preserve their sobriety -- and
we know that we need to proactively help
them to engage in positive social activities
with the rest of the community. We invite
them to attend our daily communal dinners
12
and to participate in regular meetings and
activities, including our weekly cooking
demonstrations, gardening in our rooftop
“Sky Garden,” and special holiday events
and gatherings.
A few client stories demonstrate best the
way that we are addressing the unique
needs of the aging population through our
supportive housing programs:
•
Otis J. (aka “Saladin”), who is 69
and was just recently released from
prison, was featured in a January 3rd
article in The Daily Beast entitled
“His First Day Out of Jail After 40
Years: Adjusting To Life Outside.”
A few months ago, he arrived at the
Castle, our nationally recognized
transitional reentry housing facility
in West Harlem, after spending some
time at the Bellevue Men’s Shelter in
Manhattan after being released from
prison. Of that shelter, he says, “It was
like a medium-security prison.”
The Fortune News
But, thanks to Fortune’s peer-led outreach
and recruitment, Otis J. learned about the
Castle and we offered him more than just a
bed; we offered him a community of caring
and supportive staff, volunteers, and peer
role models as well. He is now doing very
well, actively participating in programs,
and we are helping him reconnect with
his family in New Jersey. He is already
thinking about helping other people by
being a role model and a support system for
them, especially for our younger clients
•
Warren Y. is a 74-year-old resident at
the Castle who arrived in April 2014
after 3-1/2 years in prison. While he
was incarcerated later in life, he still
faced a unique set of challenges. In
his words, “When you are 68 years
old and everything is taken away from
you, it is a very difficult experience
from that of a younger man who has
not built up his life.” His experience
of loss upon his arrest and conviction
www.fortunesociety.org
was extremely difficult, so coping with
that has been very hard for him. The
aftermath of the experience also had a
painfully intense effect on his family.
Warren Y. heard about Fortune through a
friend who connected him to us. The prison
didn’t provide any discharge planning
services for him, so he was really on his
own to figure out his reentry plan (his
wife had filed for divorce while he was
incarcerated). He says, “When I got here
I was really amazed by the compassion of
the staff (especially Ruben, my first case
counselor), by the cleanliness, and by the
welcoming attitude of the other residents.
It was a pleasure to sleep on a cot without
being awakened to go on count.”
“There is nowhere else that
can do this. It doesn’t smell
or feel like a shelter; this is
a first-class program.”
- Warren Y.
Warren Y. has been working to establish
new goals, participating in group sessions,
and adapting to his new environment. He
explains, “Fortune really gets you to focus
on a redefined mission statement for your
life and to define goals and steps to achieve
those goals.” We are also helping him cope
with the requirements of parole, using
our strong relationships with NYS parole
officers.
Warren Y. points to the need for more
supportive, transitional housing facilities.
“There is nowhere else that can do this,” he
says. “It doesn’t smell or feel like a shelter;
this is a first-class program.”
•
•
Ummo R. is a 70-year-old resident
of our newest “green” supportive,
affordable permanent housing facility,
Castle Gardens. After 30 years in
prison, he says, “I had to find an
epiphany -- an enlightenment in myself
to change my ways.” This happened
for Ummo R. on June 6, 2011 when we
accepted him into the program.
He originally learned about us through
The Fortune News, Fortune’s informative
print magazine. Ummo R. was able to first
come home to the Castle. Then, after 18
months there, we helped him move into
an apartment at Castle Gardens which
is now his permanent home. Ummo R. is
taking full advantage of all the services
available at Fortune, including substanceabuse treatment, life-skills training, and
mental-health treatment through the Better
Living Center (BLC) where he has been a
client for three years. He explains, “After so
many years of incarceration, I had no one to
return to and I felt society had rejected me.
Fortune filled that void.”
Ummo R. has taken courses at Hostos
Community College and he plans to enroll
again in courses this summer as he works
towards becoming a substance-abuse
counselor.
Fortune And The Arts
Herbert T., who is 71 and who served
33 years in prison, currently lives at
Castle Gardens. He’s lived there since
2010 after first living at the Castle.
He says, “The quality and sincerity
of the people working at Fortune
is unmatched.” Herbert T. has also
taken advantage of all the programs
offered at Fortune, including our food
and nutrition workshops, computer
classes, job training, and education,
explaining, “This place knows your
background but they’re willing to
help you. Fortune wants you to use its
services to the fullest!”
He recalls the words of another elder living
at Castle Gardens named Carl who says,
“The answer is in the room.”
Our peer-based model of support is a crucial
part of Fortune’s approach to supportive
reentry housing; not only Herbert T. but
all the residents in our housing programs
benefit from the positive and caring
mentoring of a community of the peer
role models surrounding them. For older
adults coming home after so many years,
combined with the trauma of incarceration
itself, this model of reentry services is the
key to success … allowing people to both
give and receive the support they need just
when they need it.
With very limited resources -- drawing on key partners,
volunteers, and existing staff -- Fortune has launched a
variety of arts programs over the past few years.
We URGENTLY need an investment of resources to
maximize arts programming at Fortune!
If you are interested in learning more or providing funding,
please contact:
Jill Poklemba, Associate Vice President of Development &
Communications, at jpoklemba@fortunesociety.org or
(347) 510-3613.
If you have any further questions or if you have artistic talents
you would like to share as a volunteer, please contact:
Benjamin Solotaire, Manager of Volunteer Services and
Community Engagement at
bsolotaire@fortunesociety.org or (212) 691-7554.
www.fortunesociety.org
The Fortune News 13
Withstanding The “Aging Tsunami”
Our country faces a widely under-addressed policy challenge -- ensuring robust
services for older individuals who have experienced criminal justice involvement.
By Gabriel S. Oberfield
Our country faces a key but widely underaddressed policy challenge -- ensuring
robust services for older individuals
who have experienced criminal-justice
involvement, whether currently incarcerated
or needing reentry support.
America is encountering a so-called “Aging
Tsunami” that arises from a number of
converging causes. Among them are the
graying of the Baby Boomer generation
and shifts in immigration patterns. Within
a short time, New York City alone will be
home to more older adults than school-aged
children.
This shift in demographics already has
been affecting the criminal-justice system
in profound ways. At the same time that
the country has aged, so too have we
seen consequences of policies that have
led to the nation’s exponential growth of
incarceration during the last decades, often
in connection with “get tough” policies
that have removed judicial discretion and
expansion of conduct deemed criminal
under the law. Individuals sentenced under
these changed standards often have been
imprisoned for decades at a time -- and
have been aging along the way.
I approach the issues of aging services and
criminal-justice policy from an unusual
vantage point -- I have spent portions of my
14
career involved in criminal-justice policy
reform (whether as a staff member of a
national advocacy organization or while
serving on Fortune’s Board of Directors),
and at other times working closely on issues
affecting older adults (both in government
and in connection with non-profits that
deliver health and aging services). I have
encountered entities at times working
independently of each other, such as
those focused chiefly on criminal justice
versus those attuned to health and aging
services, with limited understanding of
their colleagues’ programs and approaches.
Of course, this dynamic can harm aging
adults, whether in our prisons or as they
come home.
The Oscar-nominated documentary, Prison
Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack
Hall, crisply captures the dynamic. It
chronicles a hospice team that is funded by
donations and is staffed by individuals who
are incarcerated. Compassionate fellow
prisoners step in where services had been
lacking to keep older adults living life to
their fullest -- in this case, despite terminal
health challenges endured behind bars.
But the concerning part is this: in a more
progressive system -- one thinking ahead
and rising to challenges -- more integrated
programming would be the expectation
rather than the reaction to a service gap.
There is reason, however, to be hopeful.
Driven by changes, such as the federal
Affordable Care Act, and significant
funding going to states for health care
redesign, partners in New York and
elsewhere are intentionally coordinating
resources, reorganizing to deliver higherquality and integrated care. This reshaping
is affecting services, such as behavioral
health and long-term care, to name just a
few, all of which have implications for
aging individuals with criminal-justice
involvement. At the same time, in the
traditional criminal-justice space, funders
The Fortune News
typically on distinct sides of the political
aisle are coming together to fund reform
efforts. And governments are developing
and implementing analytics systems that
bring together data in integrated fashion to
guide more global policy development.
As it always does, The Fortune Society
will be a trend-setter and will make sure
that older adults with criminal- justice
experiences receive the robust services they
need. But Fortune cannot do it alone, and it
is heartening to see others recognizing the
need for change.
Gabriel S. Oberfield joined the Board of
Directors of The Fortune Society in 2011
and serves as Chairman of its Advocacy and
Communications committee. As VP at the
Greater New York Hospital Association’s
affiliate, the Continuing Care Leadership
Coalition, Oberfield delivers policy and
operations guidance to non-profits that
furnish long- term care services.
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How To Prepare For The Unprecedented Growth Of
Aging Individuals In Prison
It is surprising how little we know about the aging prison population and about
effective strategies to better manage and serve their needs.
By Bryce Peterson & KiDeuk Kim, The Urban Institute - www.urban.org
Columbia currently have “early release”
protocols and procedures in place for
geriatric prisoners, they also use different
ages for determining the eligibility for such
release. This variation makes it difficult to
define the population leading to uncertainty
in how such policies and programs might
affect the health and care of older prisoners
-- or have consequences for public safety.
The numbers and proportions of aging
individuals in state and federal prisons are
growing fast.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice
Statistics, the number of individuals in state
prison age 55 or older nearly quadrupled
between 1995 and 2010. In comparison, the
total prison population growth was less than
half that rate during the same time period.
Despite these trends, it is surprising how
little we know about the aging prison
population and about effective strategies
to better manage and serve their needs.
The lack of consistent, systematic
information about the challenges and issues
associated with these individuals makes it
difficult to formulate meaningful policy
recommendations about how to effectively
manage them. As social science researchers
keenly interested in improving social justice
and government performance, we see two
immediate areas that deserve attention:
#1. Develop A Data-Driven
Definition Of Individuals Aging In
Prison
There is no consensus among researchers
or practitioners as to what age incarcerated
individuals should be considered “older,”
“aging,” or “geriatric.” The definition
of these individuals varies widely in the
research on this topic though it typically
ranges from 50 to 65. In addition, despite
the fact that 15 states and the District of
We believe it is critical to use data and
research to identify the age of individuals
at which their risk of recidivism can
be reasonably managed through more
affordable options than incarceration (e.g.,
community supervision), and the cost of
their incarceration sharply increases due
to the physical and/or cognitive functional
limitations associated with their aging. This
approach for defining these individuals
would be more meaningful to policy and
practice than the traditional way of thinking
about the issue.
#2. Develop A Cost-Effective
Management And Treatment
Plans For A Broad Population Of
Individuals Aging In Prison
Current discussion about individuals aging
in prison tends to focus on those who are
severely ill, leading to policies such as
hospice care, palliative care, and geriatric
release programs. However, the cost of
incarceration can be substantial for any older
individual, not just those with a terminal
illness. Given the need for additional
medical care, management, and other
resources, it is important to acknowledge
that providing proper care and surveillance
to all older individuals in prison costs a
lot more. Thus, we believe that prison
and jail administrators should consider
creating policy options to better manage
and treat a broader population of these
older individuals. Some examples include:
•
Using
more
alternatives
to
incarceration for older individuals
being sentenced for a crime. In many
cases, the supervision and treatment
needs of these individuals may be
more effectively met in the community.
•
Expanding early release programs to
include older incarcerated individuals
who are not necessarily severely ill, but
who still pose minimal risk to public
safety and whose healthcare needs can
be better met in the community. Once
these individuals become severely ill,
the cost of providing proper care and
supervision is extremely high whether
they are in prison or in the community.
•
Minimizing the deterioration of
health associated with being in
prison. This can be achieved by
expanding the use of preventive
healthcare which helps incarcerated
individuals avoid more serious
health problems later in their lives.
•
Developing an easy-to-use assessment/
screening tool for correctional officers
that would detect common geriatric
symptoms (e.g., sensory impairment,
functional impairment, incontinence,
and cognitive impairment) as well as
prison-based functional impairment.
This can help corrections officials
identify and classify older individuals
that need to be monitored for health
and safety concerns in prison.
KiDeuk Kim is a senior research associate
in the Justice Police Center of the Urban
Institute and a visiting fellow at the
Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice
Statistics. His current research focuses
on policy evaluation in criminal justice.
Bryce Peterson is a research associate
in the Justice Police Center of the
Urban Institute. His current research
interests include various issues related to
correctional populations and their families.
www.fortunesociety.org
The Fortune News 15
FROM THE DAVID ROTHENBERG CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY (DRCPP)
“A Stain In The Archives Of American History”
Although many people probably assume that such harsh sentences are only meted
out for the “worst of the worst,” the reality is a bit more complicated.
By Ronald F. Day
minimum sentences. In too many cases,
mandatory minimum sentences are unwise
and unjust.”
Although many people probably assume
that such harsh sentences are only meted
out for the “worst of the worst,” the reality
is a bit more complicated. A sizable portion
of the people serving hefty sentences
committed their crimes as juveniles or
young adults.
When it comes to incarceration in this
country, many of our elected officials
have been driving policy while under the
influence. The influence has been negative
perceptions, stereotypes, “moral panics,”
and a belief that people are incorrigible.
Hence, we can simply lock them up and
throw away the key. The truth is that 95% of
people are eventually released from prison.
One of the consequences of a retributive
system is that thousands upon thousands
of people languish in prison for decades,
well beyond the point of them posing
much risk to public safety. A report by the
Osborne Association found that “there are
an estimated 246,600 prisoners age 50 or
older in the United States and nearly 9,300
aging incarcerated individuals in New York,
comprising roughly 17% of the state’s total
prison population.”
According to eminent criminologist
Michael Tonry, it took only a dozen years
-- from 1984 to 1996 -- for us to legislate
our way into this conundrum. During
that brief period, we enacted some of the
harshest sentencing laws imaginable.
These include Truth in Sentencing, Three
Strikes, mandatory minimums, and Life
Without Parole. Coupled with a precipitous
drop in the number of people released to
parole supervision, the results have been
disastrous. Justice Anthony Kennedy once
noted, “I can accept neither the necessity
nor the wisdom of federal mandatory
16
Take the case of Eraina Pretty, who was
recently featured on 20/20. Ms. Pretty
revealed to Diane Sawyer that she was
convicted at the age of 18 for a double
homicide that occurred during a botched
robbery. Her boyfriend killed the victims
but she has been held as culpable. With
tears in her eyes, she spoke about being so
consumed with guilt that she once asked
the governor to execute her. She has been
in prison for 36 years and denied parole
numerous times.
Rolling Stone did a piece on California’s
Three Strikes Laws in 2013. The cases
that were described would likely shock the
conscience of any sensible person.
“Have you heard the one about the guy who
got life for stealing a slice of pizza?” read
the article. “Or the guy who went away
forever for lifting a pair of baby shoes?
Regardless of the crime, Mr. Tonry notes
that, comparatively, the United States is
out of touch when it comes to sentencing.
He insists that, “sentences longer than one
year are uncommon” in most other Western
countries.
There are considerable costs to society for
this experiment in punitive sentencing.
The Osborne Association observed that
we “currently spend over $16 billion
annually on incarceration for individuals
aged 50 and older.” The longer one serves
in prison, the more disconnected they are
from society. They often find it exceedingly
difficult to reestablish themselves once
The Fortune News
released, to secure suitable employment
and housing that meets their needs. Lengthy
sentences all but guarantee that many of
these individuals will be dependent on
government assistance.
Attorney General Eric Holder correctly
asserted that “Too many people go to too
many prisons for far too long for no good
law enforcement reason.”
Mass incarceration and its intended
consequence -- aging in prison -- will be a
Justice Anthony Kennedy
once noted, “I can accept
neither the necessity nor the
wisdom of federal mandatory
minimum sentences. In too
many cases, mandatory
minimum sentences are
unwise and unjust.”
stain in the archives of American history.
It was a political imperative that got us
into this mess, but a moral imperative is
what will get us out of it. Many people
are concerned about the exorbitant costs
of incarceration, and justifiably so. But our
perceptions of “criminals” as disposable is
the real sin. We built prisons with impunity
and stocked them with bodies, without due
consideration to the long-term effects to
individuals and communities.
It’s time to change course, to adopt policies
that are both fair and just.
Ronald F. Day is Associate Vice President
of the David Rothenberg Center for Public
Policy (DRCPP) at the Fortune Society
where he oversees advocacy efforts to
reduce reliance on incarceration, promote
model programing for the incarcerated
population, change laws and policies that
create barriers for successful reintegration,
and foster a just and equitable criminal
justice system.
www.fortunesociety.org
CENTER STAGE
Aging in Prison
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Partnering With MoMA
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Students from Fortune’s Education Program
work on papier-mache pieces as part of our
long-standing partnership with the Museum
of Modern Art (MoMA). For the past seven
years, Fortune has been a community
partner with MoMA, whose arts educators
engage our students through museum tours,
onsite lectures and discussions, and handson art-making sessions. This class, led by
Shellyne Rodriguez from MoMA, focused
on surrealism and fantasy.
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ANSWERS
3. The majority of elderly prisoners were
sentenced for these sorts of crimes.
4. Most common form of dementia.
8. Many prisons not designed to
accommodate these.
11. Type of law contributing to aging prison
population.
14. Age at which prisoners are considered
“elderly,” according to the National Institute
of Corrections.
15. NYS advocates’ slogan for geriatric
inmates: “If the risk is low, let them ___.”
16. It costs states this much more to
incarcerate an aging prisoner on average
than a younger one.
17. Machines to treat kidney disease.
18. “Shawshank Redemption” star.
19. % of elderly prisoners who are women.
20. Age-related eye disease: ___________
degeneration.
22. Clouding of the lenses.
24. Abnormal cell growth.
25. Country with highest incarceration rate.
26. 4-footed frame.
27. Federal aid not available to inmates.
28. 3 infectious diseases prevalent in
prisons: HIV, TB, and __________________.
29. Escape movie.
DOWN
1. Serious mental condition affecting
inmates.
2. Progressive bone disease.
5. Caring place.
6. Specialized aging facilities: _______ units.
7. State with the highest percentage of
elderly prisoners (20% as of June 2012).
9. State with the highest number of
prisoners age 50 and over (27,680 as of
June 2012).
10. Type of release available to terminally ill.
12. The second-highest expenditure for
prisons.
13. Country with second-highest
incarceration rate.
21. Insulin-related disease.
23. Joint disorder.
www.fortunesociety.org
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