Leaving the Past Behind

Challenges and Opportunities

Returning to society following years of incarceration presents both significant challenges and opportunities for personal renewal and societal reintegration, Holton said.

“The most common reentry services typically include housing assistance, employment support, job training and placement, substance use treatment, behavioral health care, education and vocational programs, legal assistance, life skills training, peer support groups, family reunification services, and health care, including preventive services,” he said.

“For older returning citizens aged 50, 60 or above, however, there is a critical need to ask whether these commonly offered services are appropriate, effective, or even necessary. Do these reentry supports align with the unique needs and lived realities of older adults? Do they meaningfully address the barriers and opportunities specific to aging populations?”

In the 30 years between 1991 and 2021, the proportion of individuals aged 55 and older in prisons increased from 3% to 15%, Holton told those in attendance. Older adults now comprise up to five times more of the total prison population than in 1991. In local jails, the 55 and older population grew 24% from 2020 to 2021 alone, the largest growth among all age groups. By 2020, 30% of individuals serving life sentences were age 55 or older, representing more than 61,400 people.

In fiscal year 2025, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) said more than 23% of its population is aged 50 and older. Some states, like New York, report that nearly one in four incarcerated individuals are aged 50 and older.

Living behind bars can take a physical toll, with incarcerated individuals being susceptible to biological aging, leading to earlier onset of geriatric conditions. The rate of offenders with a disability increases incrementally as offenders’ age at sentencing increased; roughly two-thirds (63.3%) of offenders 70 and older suffered from a physical disability.

Formerly incarcerated individuals are confronted with numerous health care barriers. Lack of continuity of care, financial constraints, loss of health insurance, scarcity of transportation, and bureaucratic processes are just some of the hurdles to overcome. Gregory Chambers, director of policy at the Illinois Coalition to End Permanent Punishments (endpp.org) who served as a dialogue participant, encountered an individual who experienced numerous health challenges while incarcerated. During the man’s sentence, medical care was provided, but upon his release at the age of 58, he found treatments were difficult to secure.

“Inside he didn’t have to worry about it,” said Chambers, who after serving a 26-year prison sentence was released in September 2020 at the age of 56. “When you’re outside, nobody is going to send you a pass for healthcare. If you don’t have protections, what are you going to do?”

Due to medical care, the cost of incarcerating an older adult compared to a younger individual increases two to three times, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that produces cutting edge research to expose the broader harm of mass criminalization that then sparks advocacy campaigns to create a more just society. States must balance cost containment with legal and ethical obligations to provide care. The funds could instead support community-based elder care, reentry housing, and long-term support services.

Long-term incarceration often leads to fractured or nonexistent family ties, Holton said. Many older adults return to communities where close family members have died or are too elderly to provide support. Incarcerated elders are more likely to experience social isolation, and once released, may have limited emotional support or strained intergenerational relationships.

“Formerly incarcerated individuals need to understand the families and communities they are returning to,” said Edith Crigler, a panelist and former chair of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. “Families need to be involved in the parole plan. If a new policy is being developed, they need to know about it.”

Education and other preventive measures should be undertaken for older formerly incarcerated individuals to achieve success upon their release, said Mary Killough, director of the Illinois Department of Aging. Cost savings may be realized later if investments are made sooner.

Crigler concurred with Killough, saying the IDOC isn’t properly preparing prisoners for their release. What may seem ordinary to individuals who have never been incarcerated, such as buying groceries at a store, may be daunting to people who have been jailed for years. More case management is important so incarcerated individuals will feel comfortable upon their release.

“The correctional facility should begin working on a prisoner’s release when they first come in,” Crigler said.

Thirty-two years of Mika’il DeVeaux’s life were spent in correctional supervision, 25 being incarcerated in New York State maximum-security prisons and seven years on parole. Having spent 23 years incarcerated with no exposure to life outside of prison, DeVeaux (pictured above with Dean Hairston) was suddenly tasked by prison leadership with assisting individuals who were returning to society.

“I was telling people what to do when they go home,” said DeVeaux, who while incarcerated in Sing Sing studied theology and earned a master’s degree in sociology while later receiving his doctoral degree. “But I wasn’t out and I didn’t know what they were going to do once they left.”

Securing stable employment is one of the biggest barriers facing older formerly incarcerated individuals. The unemployment rate is nearly five times higher compared to the general U.S. population, said the Vera Institute of Justice. A large contributing factor is the many policies and practices that disadvantage people with a history of conviction.

Older formerly incarcerated individuals encounter a “double stigma” when searching for a job, Holton said. Not only does age play a role, but criminal history does as well.

Moving Forward

Following the dialogue discussion, attendees were divided into three groups to develop policy recommendations. Policies, Strickland said, should “reflect humanity towards this population, community integration, and pathways for family or social network support.” Categories included housing, employment/income, health, technology gaps, and city/state legislative interests and support.

Housing

• Work with the Illinois House of Representative and Senate to approve “Home for Good” legislation that provides housing and support services for individuals with arrest or conviction records or individuals at risk of homelessness.

• Develop an adequate transitional housing plan. Temporary housing services should be extended from six to 12 months instead of the normal three.

• Educate currently incarcerated individuals on how to cooperate with others upon their release.

• Create a “foster care” model where formerly incarcerated individuals are matched with older adults.

• Secure housing should be required prior to an individual leaving prison.

• Build “reentry homes” similar to assisted living facilities.

• One caveat – the Illinois Department of Corrections should not be in the business of operating assisting living housing.

Employment/Income

• Create a formula where incarcerated individuals receive a living wage for completed work. The money can be deposited into an interest-bearing account that the individual will receive upon release.

• Receive Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Income upon release. The Illinois Department of Corrections has introduced a pilot program that matches formerly incarcerated individuals with jobs.

• Identify employment pathways in high-need industries.

• Build relationships with corporate enterprises.

• Coordinate with the Veterans Administration to assist eligible individuals with securing benefits, as they are underutilized.

Health

• Medicare currently uses a 30-day special enrollment period for the formerly incarcerated.

• Provide transit cards so the formerly incarcerated will have transportation to and from medical appointments.

• Extend the Medicaid 1115 Demonstration Waiver that allows states to “waive” certain provisions of the Medicaid law and receive additional flexibility to design and improve their programs.

• Determine whether the Medical Release Act (also known as the Joe Coleman Act) can be connected to the 1115 waiver. Named for a decorated Vietnam War veteran who died in prison of prostate cancer, the law was enacted on Jan. 1, 2022, to allow individuals in custody that are suffering from a terminal illness or medical incapacitation to file a medical release application.

• Coordinate health services with various agencies.

• Relocate health services from the Illinois Department of Corrections to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Technology Gaps

• Use cell/smart telephone for training purposes prior to release.

• Team with the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology on initiatives to assist formerly incarcerated individuals with their needs.

• Investigate technological initiatives of other states.

With the proper services, older formerly incarcerated individuals can be productive members of society. First, Strickland said, “we need to ask how do you change people’s minds about those individuals leaving prison.

“How are you going to serve a population if you don’t care about the population? We must continue having events like this to keep learning how we can help.”