HARRISBURG, P.A. (KYW Newsradio) — Lawmakers in Harrisburg are taking action on a bipartisan plan that would allow more people in state prison with serious health issues, like terminal cancer or Alzheimer’s, to be granted compassionate release.
Philadelphia Democrat Rick Krajewski said not only is the bill humane, but it could save Pennsylvania taxpayers money, as he said the state Department of Corrections spends around $400 million annually on inmates who are at risk of death in facilities that are not designed to care for them.
“I believe that our Department of Corrections should not be in the business of hospice care. It's not a nursing home,” he said.
The bill would expand Pennsylvania’s current compassionate release program, as Krajewski notes in 15 years, only 54 people have successfully petitioned for release due to serious illness.
Krajewski worked with Republican co-sponsor Torren Ecker on the bill.
“This concept is a way to save money for corrections, to save money for our commonwealth, one of our largest cost drivers,” said Ecker.
The bill moved out of committee with a 15-11 vote. Despite Ecker’s involvement, he was the only Republican on the committee to vote to advance the bill.
Other GOP members said that while they support the issue, they felt the reasons it lists for possible release are too broad.
Ecker says they’re open to conversations and hope to tighten up the language before the bill gets a final vote from the House.