By C1 Staff
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The number of inmates over 50 has steadily increased inside Missouri prisons since 2004.
KMBC reports that the Department of Corrections’ elderly population went from 10.1 percent in 2004 to 17.1 percent in 2013.
The director of the department, George Lombardi, said that prisoners regardless of age have a high risk of health issues due to their lifestyle choices. Missouri currently has a contract with Corizon for their inmate health care.
They pay $12.58 per day per prisoner, and the DOC is expecting to shell out $146 million this year in expenses.
The rise of an aging population has also led to the introduction of pre-hospice programs, where fellow inmates are selected and trained to assist their ill cellmates.
The DOC is working with the Palliative Care Association to develop a teaching curriculum for prison staff and inmates so they can assist patients entering hospice care.