Dementia and Prisoners

As the US population ages, the prison population is aging, too. The US Census Bureau estimates that by 2030, nearly a third of all inmates will be over the age of 55. Are prisons equipped to deal with the illness and frailties that come with age? There are ethical questions to consider, too. For example, dementia—if a person no longer knows why they’re in prison, is it ethical to keep them there? Rachel Lopez is a professor in the Kline School of Law at Drexel University and has been studying prisoners with dementia and other human rights issues throughout her career. (Segment produced by Olivia Young)