Op-Ed: We Should Free Old Inmates, but Not Why You Think

In a New York Times op-ed, journalist German Lopez argues that the US should stop keeping prisoners locked up through old age. But he's not making his case based on compassion. The idea of locking someone up for life may sound like a tough-on-crime approach, but Lopez flips that narrative on its head. "In reality, it gives years, if not decades, of shelter, food and health care to convicted criminals," he writes, concluding that "America's prisons are fast becoming the world's worst nursing homes."

Lopez also rejects the idea that keeping senior inmates locked up is a matter of public safety, citing stats that show they are unlikely to commit crimes. Yes, some older criminals warrant lifelong incarceration, but in most cases, it amounts to wasting money that could be better spent on proven crime-prevention programs.

• "You don't have to mourn an older killer's lifelong suffering in prison to think reform is a good idea. You can just think, as I do, that the criminal justice system should protect Americans as efficiently and effectively as possible. Paying for the housing, food and health care of someone unlikely to commit a crime should not make the cut."