I was watching a documentary a while back about the ageing prison population (ironically I can't remember what it was called or where I saw it, may have been Netflix). Anyway I've been thinking about this hypothetical for a while and can't come up with an answer that satisfies me....
Should a prisoner who has a life without parole sentence and develops dementia and now does not remember his/her crime still be incarcerated?
My thoughts. If it gets to the point that he/she does not know why they are being punished it would seem pointless to keep them locked up. If the dementia had progressed enough it is unlikely they would even know they were being punished.
In the documentary I watched the elderly prisoners were cared for by other prisoners. I'm not sure if they do this out of kindness or if it was a job they get rewarded for.
Should a prisoner who has a life without parole sentence and develops dementia and now does not remember his/her crime still be incarcerated?
My thoughts. If it gets to the point that he/she does not know why they are being punished it would seem pointless to keep them locked up. If the dementia had progressed enough it is unlikely they would even know they were being punished.
In the documentary I watched the elderly prisoners were cared for by other prisoners. I'm not sure if they do this out of kindness or if it was a job they get rewarded for.