Senior citizens serving federal sentences have fallen through the cracks

Senior citizens serving federal sentences have fallen through the cracks

　　Transcript¹

　　The government agency that oversees² some of the oldest and sickest people in federal prison has a problem: it has been undercounting the number of prisoners under its jurisdiction³.

　　The U.S. Parole Commission's miscounting came to light when self-described math wonk and Berkeley law professor Chuck Weisselberg noticed something strange this year as he read an annual report from the government.

　　The report said the number of people in prison who were convicted before late 1987 had grown by 69% in one year — "inconceivable," Weisselberg said.

　　"These are senior citizens serving federal sentences," he added. "They're the oldest and most vulnerable group of people in the federal prison system and they seem to have fallen through the cracks."

　　Linda Evans, who spent more than 16 years in the custody⁴ of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said she was counted "at least eight times a day."

　　Evans hears from many people still behind bars in her work as an advocate. She's worried the government is failing them, and that the root of the miscounting is simply that it doesn't care.

　　The commission was supposed to go out of business in 1992. But Congress continues to extend its mandate⁵ every year, even though the panel that once had five members making decisions about federal parole release now only has two.

　　"You have this agency that's operated in total darkness within the Department of Justice without any interest or oversight⁶ by Congress," Weisselberg said. "And then in the fall of each year when the commission is about to expire people panic and reauthorize the agency."

　　The advocates are speaking out now because they don't want that to happen again this fall. They say there's plenty of time for the Justice Department and Congress to develop a plan for the few hundred older people in prison, perhaps, to transfer those cases to judges.

　　In a written statement, the Parole Commission told NPR it has changed the way they count these so-called "old law" prisoners to make it more accurate.

　　The commission said it expects the number of old law prisoners under its control will be zero by 2038, when it factors in parole releases and deaths by natural causes.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

3 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

4 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

5 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

6 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。