Since crime is committed mostly by the young, why are we locking up elderly non-violent people for life without the possibility of parole? By ages 45 to 50, the crime rates approach zero. It is obvious that we are spending a lot of money but not impacting crime rates by locking up 50-, 60-, 70-year-olds.
The increased length of prison sentences is one of the reasons for the rising rates of incarceration in America. The average time spent in prison increased by 32 percent during the 1990s as a result of mandatory minimum sentencing and specifically the three-strikes law. Mass incarceration has become an egregious and expensive problem in this country.
Kenneth Christensen
Seattle
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