Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday June 13 2004 — caire Loirag-teor-m IFoir Continued from A 1 he said “We have some housing for inmates with special needs but we are not equipped for an inmate that care” requires hospice-typ- e Because of advances in health care the average life expectancy of a person in the United States in 2003 was about 77 years compared with 71 iri 1960 As people live longer and baby boomers reach retirement age a con- -' tinued upswing in crime committed by people over 60 appears likely There were no statistics available regarding changes in the number of elderly DOC inmates but the increase has been noticeable Ford said When medical situations arise for which the prison medical system is unequipped all the DOC can do is ask the parole board to terminate the offenders' sentences so they can be released to get the care required Ford r they’re no longer a threat Oftentimes with no family or friends to turn to serious offenders are finding their way' into nursing homes which are not equipped for them said Cindy Jones director of social services for Sun- -' shine Tfcrrace in Logan In most cases people in nursing homes are there because they can no longer take care of themselves Jones said Introducing a person with a ' ‘ destructive personality into that envi- ronment is potentially disastrous There currently is no secure facility in Utah to put people who’ve committed violent crimes once they need longterm care ' “It i$ falling to the nursing homes to ' take care of these people” Jones said “I don’t see that changing until the criminal justice system changes and v places are developed to house these It’s kind of a scary thing” people If a long-tercare facility has a resident who is a threat it puts a lot of pressure on the staff and resources to ’ said If inmates have to be released for medical reasons and are violent or predatory they can stay in a halfway house for about a month hut then ' they’re on their own ' “If we have to let an inmate out we rely on their family to take them in" Ford said “If there is no family avail- able I don’t know what would happen to them" Once people foil outside the medical capabilities of the justice system and need tare it doesn’t mean 24-ho- m ur agiing imunroaltes care for the person and protect others Jones said She recalled a time when a man in his late 70s was convicted of shoplift- - : ' ing and needed nursing home care' The judge wasn’t sure what to do with the man so he was sentenced to Sunshine Terrace He was there for only a short time before he died but he crcat- ed some problems : Extra staff had to be hired raising " operating costs considerably It also affected other residents because one staff member always had to be watch' ing one individual which takes time away from other people Jones said Another problem facing nursing homes is what to do with a person who commits a crime while living ' '" there ' “We have already had to face that problem and have had to make adjust- merits” Jones said “We try to find a place to put them (the offenders) where there is more monitoring but it just isn’t out there So we have to ' adjust everything we do to accommo- date them This is a safe place for a perpetrator They feel safe they have all their medical care provided for them and they know the worst thing that’s going to happen to them is to be ' left right where they are” Sunshine Terrace has not had to deal with the issue of a sexual predator being cared for under its roof but other nursing homes have “Would you want your mother liv ‘ a real issue ing next door to a sex offender?” Jones said “This is a real issue that all care facilities arc having to long-terface and the problem is only going to continue to grow” The DOC is not the only agency in Utah that has seen an increase in its elderly inmate population Capt Kim Cheshire of the Cache County Shcr- iff’s Office has also noticed more peo--' m u “Would you want your mother living next door V to a sex offender? This is a real issue and the problem is only going to continue to S ’ 'grow” ’ - -- All Cindy Jones Social services director pie coming to jail who arc over 60 - “We’ve had people in here who are 60 70 80 years old” Cheshire said “Our policy is to make sure that they '' can take care of themselves and if ' they can’t then we have observation cells we can put them in" The observation cells keep inmates from mixing with the general jail pop-- ! ulation and allow them to be monitored closely by staff ’ When elderly people come to the ' jail they're dealt with case by case just like oilier inmates If they don't fit into the design of the system then adjustments have to be made Cheshire said There arc unwritten rules in prisons and jails that govern inmate intcrac-tidns Inmates at times will hike it upon themselves to help their elderly V counterparts ' “They’ll stick up for them things like that” Cheshire said “I’ve seen that happen quite a hit” in" that The new 360-be- d jail opened March oh Valley View Highway in west Logan has alleviated some of the problems for the jstalT when a person ' with ’special needs is sent to jail Cheshire said Planned with the idea - ' of taking care of the broadest gipup of people possible it has wider halls and js equipped with nine handicapped cells Thc DOC also has recognized the growing problem of elderly crime and an aging prison population Discus- sions have taken place at the state level and among private care homes to find a solution but no immediate answers are forthcoming The growing problem of elderly crime is so new that several iepresen- - tatives from state gerontology agen-cihave requested copies of this ‘ ! story ‘ r ' ' es Church plans to Hi r ' fj- S( SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — " The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da-y 7- Saints has pur-- ( 'V!H chased another building adding to the property list of 4--- v l-- M ': Evervtliihd mission :r 100 South and Main Street ' B 4 across the street from two : iTerms of the latest acquisition were not disclosed andZCMI Cot- vV "v ter malts me heduledto be va overhauled adding new high-- : fashion tenants and housing theblocksThe church also ' plajis tq transform a parking " into lot a South on V Temple ' campus for Brigham Young University Salt Lake Center and LDS Business College City councilwoman Jill Remington Love said non- ! Mormons shouldn’t be overly concerned with the church’s ' ' '''influence in plans for the rede-- : velopment of downtown She believes the church wants to ' ' develop projects for the mass-e- s not just Mormons although she plans to ask LDS officials to meet with the council in ' ' public and share their plans Dress Shirt Short-sleev- e white dress shirt with point - ' DTGSS o - Sacks Pnofc IUlOUdl& Tn ‘ ! : ! y’ - - : ' BYU: Travel study trips no longer PROVO ( AP) — The trip is ending for Brigham Young University’s travel study department Citing declining enrollment and increasing safety fears BYU announced Friday that the program will close at the end of August “Visits to some locations under present circumstances would be so limited in scope that the full educational experience would not occur” said Richard Eddy dean of B YU’s ' continuing education department The travel study department which is separate from BYU's study abroad organizes educational 2- - to trips for both students and the public ' A few trips scheduled for after the Aug 31 closing date will go on but no new programs will be scheduled “We kept hoping the travel situation in the world woujd change" Eddy said Choose from a large assortment of Ecco®and TimberlancP Men’s Shoes P'S Gold Toe9 Men’s Socks raEPSiiiro ( In IM and Sunday 12-- 4 at a Didard'a locations Shop Mondar-Mimte- y Logan at Cacha Vaitay Man In San Laka City at FaaNon Ptaoa and South Towns Cantor In Ogdsn at Nawgata Malt fei Prom m Pmo Towns Cankw In WawdcomayourOHanff CxdKCafd The Amancan Eipraad Catd Dnn Club Wamaaonai Mastaram Voa and tha Dwona-Ca- St Gsorgs at dad CIHts MaN V i |