Elderly Prisoners and Dementia Cases Increase

As the US population ages, the US prison population is also aging. The U.S. 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 law professor at Drexel University who has been studying prisoners with dementia and other human rights issues. (Segment produced by Olivia Young)