For this installment of Weekend Edition, the lawyers at Bury Your Past are listening to Ear Hustle – Episode 9 – Gold Coats and OGs.
This episode covers what happens when an incarcerated felon ages or becomes invalid. The difficulties we all face as we age become especially difficult behind bars. Access to healthcare, family contact, medication, safety, hygiene, and healing all take a backseat to safety in prison.
One interesting aspect of this episode is the “Gold Coats”, or medical trustees. Gold Coats have direct access to aged inmates and assist with their care. These Goldcoats rarely have extensive training but they take the place of nurses and medical personnel. Without taking into consideration the civil rights aspect of this quality of care, there is a much larger issue brewing. The amount and proportion of aged inmates in state and federal prisons are set to increase exponentially in the coming years.
“Strikingly, it has been noted that the rate of incarceration for men age 65 and over in America is 142 per 100,000 male US residents of that age, a rate that exceeds the total rate of incarceration for men of any age in most countries (Human Rights Watch, 2012). By the year 2030, it has been forecasted that older inmates will represent over one-third of the U.S. prisoner population (Durham, 1994; Neeley et al., 1997), an increase of 4,400% since 1981 (American Civil Liberties Union, 2012)(see Figure 2).” Managing the Elderly in Prison – By Frank J. Porporino, Ph.D.
The lawyers are Bury Your Past are working with Oklahoman’s to clear their criminal record. We pay attention to the law and to trends in incarceration and sentencing. Contact our experienced expungement lawyers today at (405) 232-0000 or (918) 409-0417.
Located in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Bob Wyatt and Clint James can expunge cases across the State of Oklahoma.
