"The Cost Of [Elderly] Justice."

The cost of justice

There's no case to be made that the inmates who might qualify for medical paroles in Kentucky are choirboys and tea party girls. To the contrary, the lot of them includes some pretty despicable characters, so it's no wonder that prosecutors, victims and friends and family of those who have been hurt prefer that they never leave for any reason.

Nevertheless, there's still a strong case to be made for easing the rules that currently govern medical paroles.

Here's one argument: None of the 15 inmates granted medical paroles since 2006 has committed new offenses.

Another persuasive factor is money.

On average, Kentucky taxpayers shell out about $19,000 a year to maintain an inmate, but it can become a lot more expensive for inmates who are terminally ill and geriatric. That's a huge burden for a poor state like this, where it's projected that in 10 years the inmate population will increase by 10,000 -- to 31,000. That prospect looks ridiculously expensive, even if we've come out of the recession by then.

We believe the urgent need is to adopt sentencing and other penal reforms -- changes that will keep the public safe, but at less expense.

It makes no sense for terminally ill and really elderly inmates to be held at maximum expense, behind walls, when they can be paroled to their families, nursing homes or other programs and facilities that cost less.

Editor's comment: Reluctantly, I AGREE, though my STRONG law enforcement side is kicking me.