Illinois law to release sick prisoners and free up resources is rarely used

There are more than six thousand elderly people behind bars in Illinois. Many require intensive, round-the-clock medical care. It’s care prisons can’t provide … there are reports of sick and elderly patients left sitting in their own waste. Some have died. And even the inadequate care is expensive. A new law that took effect last year is supposed to relieve some of the strain on the prison system by releasing people who are near death or seriously disabled. But an investigation by WBEZ and Injustice Watch has found that only about 50 people have been released. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Shannon Heffernan, Carlos Ballesteros