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On bankruptcy and outstretched hands By Ruth Sinai Tags: rights, Israel, Prison Senior citizens in jail The first brochure of its kind is now being published, one that details the civil rights of adult and senior citizen jail inmates. Subjects covered include who is entitled to early release, conditional release or a medical release - and the brochure even provides the relevant forms for each case. It also explains how to plan for one's senior years, for example, how to write a will and instructions meant to prevent life-extending medical treatment against one's intentions. The brochure, prepared by the organization Justice in Service of the Elderly, in collaboration with the public defender's office and the prisoner rehabilitation service, will be distributed in all jails. Dr. Israel Doron, of the University of Haifa, the founder of the Organization for the Advancement of Senior Citizens' Rights, explains that the purpose of the document is primarily to increase awareness of the fact that in some cases it is worth taking into account a prisoner's age when considering his or her suitability for early release, after serving two-thirds of his sentence. Such a policy is in practice in some U.S. states, among others, in order to ease the overcrowding in jails. Advertisement According to Doron, the professional literature indicates that prisoners who serve long sentences age faster than others and have a hard time being with younger and violent prisoners. Sometimes, a 55-year-old prisoner shows signs of aging of a much older person, says Doron. Ma'asiyahu Prison, in Ramle, does actually have a special wing for older inmates, where the conditions are better than in the other wings, but as a rule there is no policy regarding older inmates. Doron feels that such a policy is necessary, given the fact that the prison population, like the population in general, is aging. "I'm not saying that someone who murdered his wife should be released simply because he's old, but on an individual basis there is some justification for considering early release based on a low level of danger to others and advanced age," says Doron. "At an older age, a lengthy jail term has a tougher significance than at a young age." Health clinics in Hadera The ministers who voted yesterday for or against the proposed 2009 budget did not see the letter recently sent by one of the directors of the Health Ministry's Hadera district office to the charitable NGO Ahdut ("Unity"). The letter's subject tells almost the entire amazing story: "Donations for repair of family health clinics - Hadera District." The letter relates that the Hadera district health office serves 48 family health clinics (better known as well-baby clinics, in Hebrew "Tipat Halav") in 14 communities, including Or Akiva, Zichron Yaakov, Binyamina, Givat Ada, Pardes Hannah, Karkur, Umm al-Fahm, Jisr a-Zarka, Hadera and others. "Due to budgetary problems that most of the local authorities have encountered, they do not have the means to maintain these buildings," wrote the head of the district health administration, Adi Emanuel. "As a result, most of the buildings are poorly maintained and have safety and environmental problems that may endanger the clients: pregnant women, infants and babies. We appeal to you with a request to assist in the renovation of the well-baby clinics and save them from collapse. In the event you are interested in helping, we will be happy to meet with you, tour the sites and present you with additional details." Two weeks after that letter, the organization received another request, this one directly from some of the local authorities. The mayor of Or Akiva, Simha Yosipov, wrote as follows: "Or Akiva has three family health clinics, two of which are in poor physical condition. These clinics provide services to veteran families as well as new immigrant families ... I ask for your assistance in funding the necessary renovations." The Finance Ministry has been pressing for years for a transfer of all preventive medical services, primarily the well-baby clinics and immunizations of schoolchildren, from the government to the health maintenance organizations and outside contractors, and to that end, has "dried up" their budgets. Last year, following Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's insistence, the transfer of the well-baby clinics to the HMOs was halted and millions of shekels were diverted to them. But this budget was swallowed up in funding staff positions and other needs that had not been covered for years. Nothing was left for the renovations, something for which the local authorities also lack funding. Young people in the government Apart from one minister, Communications Minister Ariel Atias, all 28 government ministers and their deputies are aged 45 or older, or will turn 45 in the coming year. In this respect, they are unusual. In the labor market, age discrimination is very tangible, with 45 considered the threshold beyond which the risk of dismissal increases, as does the difficulty of finding a new job. This fact is reflected in an analysis done by the Knesset's Center for Research and Information, at the request of MK Shelly Yachimovich (Labor). Following a request she received from a Haifa citizens group called the Power to Influence (Hakoah Lehashpia), comprised mostly of people aged 45-plus who cannot find salaried jobs, Yachimovich asked the information center to ascertain how many people aged 45 and older had been hired to work in government offices over the last five years. The answer was 9 percent. In some offices, the number was indeed higher - in the Ministries of Education, Health, Absorption and Tourism, for example - but even among them, the rate did not exceed 20 percent of all the new hires. In the Ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Interior and Justice, on the other hand, the rate was only seven percent or less. The survey further found that 45-pluses may comprise 46 percent of government employees, but usually they were workers who were hired at a younger age and who are now protected from being dismissed by seniority rules and membership in the Histadrut Labor Federation. The Power to Influence operates under the auspices of the Yedid association in Haifa. In recent months, unemployed people aged 45 and above contacting the organization's offices all over the country were asked if they knew of any positions in government offices and whether they applied. Some knew of such positions, but not one of them applied because they claimed it was obvious they would not be hired. The Knesset now has three bills before it - sponsored by Yachimovich, Gilad Erdan (Likud) and Haim Oron (Meretz), respectively - whose objective is to provide incentives for those who hire people over the age of 45. The Finance Ministry and the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry are interested in encouraging employment of older workers, but talk is cheap. Only seven percent of the workers hired by the treasury in the last five years were 45 and older, and in the 2009 budget, the sharp cuts in budgets for professional training for adults continue. Bookmark to del.icio.us   McCartney in Israel The former Beatles lead singer announces his plans to perform in Tel Aviv next month. Next big invention U.S. entrepreneur makes aliyah to take advantage of Israeli innovation.

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