When we think of the Elderly, we immediately think of our sweet little Grandma who bakes us delicious cookies or our grandpa who gives us toys and money during Christmas. As most elderly are already old and fragile, we see them as people who wouldn’t even hurt a fly.
However, in the eyes of the justice system, crime and punishment have no age limit. Though a person may be in their golden age, they are not exempted from facing prison time if they committed any crime that would put another person’s life or possessions in danger. If your senior loved one has been arrested, check out Denver Jail bonds for a faster way to get them out of jail?
Did you know that a person who is over age 55 who committed a crime is called a Geriatric offender? Though there are many elderly people in prison, a small percentage only consists of Geriatric offenders since most elderly prisoners have been there all their life for crimes they have committed when they were younger.
Dealing with elderly offenders has not been easy. Though it is often argued that people no matter what their age is should be punished according to the crime they have committed, some have defended that elderly people already have chronic health problems and should not be subject to lengthy jail sentences.
Some of the common criminal charges that involve the elderly are DUIs or Driving under the Influence which is sometimes considered a minor offense and is given a minimum punishment. Another one is petty theft or shoplifting which is considered a misdemeanor and most of the time, elderly offenders are only given fines and are not sent to jail. However, though there are some kinds of bias when elderly people are involved, more serious crimes such as sexual assaults, rape, and murder are a different story. If convicted, no matter what the age of the elderly offender is, they will have to face years in prison depending on the judges’ decision. Being arrested is hard for a senior loved one, ask Denver bonds for help.
In terms of bail, the decision of the judge depends on factors that determine whether an offender will be granted bail. Though the federal system requires judges to assess an offender based on their past criminal history, risk to the public or community, severity of offense, and character to determine if bail will be granted, most judges also consider the defendant’s age. If the elderly cannot afford bail, they have an option to avail a Denver jail bond or Denver bonds. Some might be more lenient to geriatric offenders as they are far less likely to commit additional crimes while out on bail. Also, considering their age, they are also less likely to be a flight risk and would return to court to participate in the proceedings of their case.
The decision to incarcerate an elderly offender is a difficult call for judges. And the question, if they should be treated more leniently than younger criminals because of the fact that they have a shorter time left to live, is a tough decision for judges. As every case is different, there are a number of considerations that judges might make into account particularly if it involves elderly offenders. Though, under the law, everyone must accept all consequences for their actions no matter how old and frail a person is.