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| N.C. saves money by releasing dying inmates |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 01/22/2009 |
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NORTH CAROLINA - The early release of a dying inmate from a North Carolina jail has drawn complaints from some victims' family members and lawmakers who question the policy that allows terminally ill prisoners to go free. North Carolina is among more than 25 states that allow early release of dying inmates as a way to save money. The latest was 41-year-old Jeffery Cooke, who was dying of liver disease and let out of the Currituck County jail nine days before Christmas to die at home, The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday. Cooke was serving a one-year sentence after his fifth drunken-driving conviction and was scheduled to be released this month. District Attorney Frank Parrish of Elizabeth City prosecuted Cooke and said the Department of Correction never consulted him about the release, but he wouldn't have objected. "You're balancing public safety against equity and humanity, and in Mr. Cooke's case it came down on the right side," Parrish said. A 2007 study showed that North Carolina spent $34 million on health care for inmates older than 50. That was a 35 percent increase from 2006. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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