As of January 2026, the Federal Bureau of Prisons reported over 4,600 inmates are over the age of 65, with over 13,000 between ages 51-55. (Adobe Stock)
West Virginia- West Virginia’s prison population has ballooned over the past decade, and now, between 30% and 35% of people incarcerated are 55 or older.
The state has opened two geriatric prison facilities, one in Fayette County and one in Pleasants County, to provide aging inmates with specialized care for dementia and living assistance.
Kenny Matthews, economic justice associate for the American Friends Service Committee of West Virginia, said policies releasing the elderly from prison could help the state save millions. He added research shows elderly people have the lowest recidivism rate of any incarcerated population.
“How is it a policy of public safety to keep someone incarcerated when they can’t even push themselves around, or they need somebody to bathe them or feed them?” Matthews asked. “How dangerous, really, are these individuals?”
The Second Look Sentencing Act, introduced last year, would have created a pathway for release through judicial review and sentencing modification for some individuals who have served at least 10-year sentences. Advocates said they are working on getting the bill reintroduced this session. As of January 2026, the Federal Bureau of Prisons reported more than 4,600 inmates are over the age of 65.
Mathews added taxpayers end up footing the bill for complex medical needs and chronic illnesses, which often accompany aging. He believes the money could be spent on education, housing and public services.
“With Second Look, with medical respite, with compassionate release, these are all policies that can be utilized to relieve some of the burden on the state,” Mathews contended.
West Virginia lawmakers are currently considering Senate Bill 137, which would increase the minimum and maximum sentences for second-degree murder and increase the penalty for voluntary manslaughter. Critics of the legislation argued longer sentences would increase the aging prison population and cost taxpayers.
