Bernie Madoff seeks early release from prison due to terminal illness

[EZEtoGRU]

He has served approximately 10 years of a 150-year sentence. I would not be particularly inclined to give him early release. You?

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/ponzi-scheme-king-bernie-madoff-says-he-is-dying-seeks-early-release-from-prison/ar-BBZGJ91?ocid=spartanntp

[jjkrkwood]

I'm torn.

[+ purplekow]

Well hospice care usually suggest that the patient ought to have 6 months or less to live in order to qualify hospice care which is generally for comfort. . When he gets there, then perhaps, as long as he is only receiving hospice care. Any other care is an attempt to prolong his miserable conniving life and that extended life should be spent in prison.

Edited February 5, 2020 by purplekow

[EZEtoGRU]

Well hospice care usually suggest that the patient out to have 6 months or less to live in order to qualify hospice care which is generally for comfort. . When he gets there, then perhaps, as long as he is only receiving hospice care. Any other care is an attempt to prolong his miserable conniving life and that extended life should be spent in prison.

. Good point. I’m with you on that?

[rvwnsd]

Well hospice care usually suggest that the patient ought to have 6 months or less to live in order to qualify hospice care which is generally for comfort. . When he gets there, then perhaps, as long as he is only receiving hospice care. Any other care is an attempt to prolong his miserable conniving life and that extended life should be spent in prison.

. Good point. I’m with you on that?

Can't they just keep him where he is and give him a fluffy pillow and an extra blanket?

[+ Travis69]

He should die in Jail.

[+ quoththeraven]

I like @purplekow's suggestion. However, I assume that with end-stage renal disease, he spends most of his days receiving dialysis treatment. As I recall, end-stage renal disease treatment is automatically covered (by Medicare, I think, but don't quote me). From a fiscal point of view, home nursing or whatever is his responsibility once he's no longer in custody.

 

I guess it depends on the extent to which accommodations are required for him to continue to be treated in prison. If they are extensive, does it really make sense to keep him there? Any deterrence or personal remorse will have already happened. He's a pariah. I'm not sure what more the public would be gaining from his imprisonment at that rate. I also don't know how good or hard and fast estimates of remaining lifespan are for end-stage renal disease, but assume they're more reliable than, say, estimates for cancer.

[+ azdr0710]

impressed that, as the article says, the trustee has recovered about 75 cents on the dollar for the victims......

 

I don't know if Madoff receives dialysis or not......my Mother died of renal failure (her "choice" of several health issues she faced) and had excellent hospice care....it's a painless way to die and she didn't get set up for dialysis (again, her choice).......she was in not-horrible shape up until about 36 hours before she died, then she slept peacefully until the end.....

 

his lawyers claim he has about 18 months or less to go, despite already being in palliative care.....based on my Mother's experience (she had hospice for about two weeks because she just didn't seem to want/need it any earlier), he is not at all in bad shape now......I'd be ok with him going home in about 17.5 months.......

[+ bashful]

I’ve dealt with being a caregiver for someone whose condition often led to death within months. We enjoyed two and a half years together following diagnosis.

 

“less than 18 months to live.” is only, at best, an educated estimate, not an absolute certainty. May be sooner, but could very well be later. I think it’s too soon to consider an early release.

[+ sniper]

If you're in end stage renal failure and choose hospice, I'm 99% sure that means foregoing dialysis, and usually death comes within a couple of weeks assuming the kidney failure was total. Being on dialysis 3 times a week is an existence, not a life, as the procedure is very taxing for most patients. My mother was on dialysis 9 months before she died and by the time she complained about it, I didn't feel I could ask about stopping it because she had some dementia and I as her caretaker had a conflict of interest.

OTOH columnist Art Buchwald famously went into hospice for kidney failure and his kidneys bounced back, giving him an unexpected 18 months...

[Guest]

We all are born with a terminal illness. 150 years is a life sentence. Tough noogies...throw away the key

[+ nycman]

He’s an asshole. He should die in prison.

 

They've recovered $14.3 billion....which is 75 cents on the dollar....which means

best case senario his victims still lost about 4.77 BILLION dollars.

 

I know quite a few people’s lives that were completely destroyed by this man.

 

Let him rot.

[+ Keith30309]

Let his victims decide.

 

I think I’m a reasonably compassionate person but he injured a lot of people over a long period of time and would be disinclined to alter his incarceration.

[Monarchy79]

Let him rot.

[+ sniper]

75% recovered? I'm shocked there was that much to recover. Seems he should have been able to keep it running if he had that much.

[+ sync]

I'm torn.

Me too. While I'm definitely pro humane treatment of the incarcerated by the fact that, tragically, there are incarcerated individuals who are not guilty of the crimes with which they were charged. In this case, however, I'm put to wonder if the same end-of-life consideration would be given to inmates of lesser notoriety.

[+ quoththeraven]

impressed that, as the article says, the trustee has recovered about 75 cents on the dollar for the victims......

 

I don't know if Madoff receives dialysis or not......my Mother died of renal failure (her "choice" of several health issues she faced) and had excellent hospice care....it's a painless way to die and she didn't get set up for dialysis (again, her choice).......she was in not-horrible shape up until about 36 hours before she died, then she slept peacefully until the end.....

 

his lawyers claim he has about 18 months or less to go, despite already being in palliative care.....based on my Mother's experience (she had hospice for about two weeks because she just didn't seem to want/need it any earlier), he is not at all in bad shape now......I'd be ok with him going home in about 17.5 months.......

I understood the lawyers to be repeating what his doctor(s) said. In any event, that's really not enough to make a decision to release him on. While I'm no expert, I would expect end-stage renal disease to require dialysis if the prognosis is survival for 18 months. Subject, of course, to correction by people who know. This isn't something I'm going to research on my own.

[+ quoththeraven]

Me too. While I'm definitely pro humane treatment of the incarcerated by the fact that, tragically, there are incarcerated individuals who are not guilty of the crimes with which they were charged. In this case, however, I'm put to wonder if the same end-of-life consideration would be given to inmates of lesser notoriety.

Why?

 

I agree with @BnaC's first sentence but none of the rest. Are you suggesting that only people who are not actually guilty are deserving of humane treatment?

 

Treatment shouldn't depend on notoriety. But punishment shouldn't be prolonged to the point where it's become irrelevant because the diagnosis and treatment themselves are a form of prison even for people who are living at home. Furthermore I adhere to a belief system that says all of us are deserving because none of us are.

 

I agree that entry into hospice is an appropriate time to release him. Being in prison is at odds with palliative care. Also I'm surprised I'm the only one interested in him or his family assuming the cost of his treatment, which, hello! is being paid by his victims along with everyone else.

[+ sync]

Why?

 

I agree with @BnaC's first sentence but none of the rest. Are you suggesting that only people who are not actually guilty are deserving of humane treatment?

 

Treatment shouldn't depend on notoriety. But punishment shouldn't be prolonged to the point where it's become irrelevant because the diagnosis and treatment themselves are a form of prison even for people who are living at home. Furthermore I adhere to a belief system that says all of us are deserving because none of us are.

 

I agree that entry into hospice is an appropriate time to release him. Being in prison is at odds with palliative care. Also I'm surprised I'm the only one interested in him or his family assuming the cost of his treatment, which, hello! is being paid by his victims along with everyone else.

I'm having some difficulty relating your response to my posting. My "Me too" was a response to a JJKrkwood posting, not a BnaC posting. As I intended to convey in my wondering about notoriety, I totally agree that treatment should not depend on notoriety.

[+ purplekow]

I was going to mention in my post that he should assume financial responsibility for his care, but quite frankly, at his age, he is would be covered by Medicare and likely a secondary insurance, so there is little chance he will absorb the cost.

However there is quite a bit of difference between at home dialysis or an upscale dialysis center and a prison dialysis unit, even assuming he is on dialysis. He could have end stage disease but not have reached the stage of needing dialysis. In addition, the bed at home would probably be a lot more comfortable. The TV or choice of reading material a lot more luxurious. Nice silk PJs and nurse to cater to every need. 18 months of that, likely extending to several years, seems hardly a prison sentence, more like an elegant exit from a life of excess.

[Guest]

Why?

 

I agree with @BnaC's first sentence but none of the rest. Are you suggesting that only people who are not actually guilty are deserving of humane treatment?

 

Treatment shouldn't depend on notoriety. But punishment shouldn't be prolonged to the point where it's become irrelevant because the diagnosis and treatment themselves are a form of prison even for people who are living at home. Furthermore I adhere to a belief system that says all of us are deserving because none of us are.

 

I agree that entry into hospice is an appropriate time to release him. Being in prison is at odds with palliative care. Also I'm surprised I'm the only one interested in him or his family assuming the cost of his treatment, which, hello! is being paid by his victims along with everyone else.

Being in prison is consistent with punishment and elimination of right to the pursuit of happiness. He did the crime, he does the time. Compassion to his disregards his victims.

[johnjohn]

https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/ He is in Butner , not excatly a harsh place to be.

[MikeBiDude]

I wonder if anyone who invested with Bernie ever questioned how he achieved his astronomical returns? Did they do much research or did excitement (greed?) Drive some investors?

 

In the deli escorts are often regarded as “TGTBT” I wonder if anyone considered that before investing?

[Guest]

I wonder if anyone who invested with Bernie ever questioned how he achieved his astronomical returns? Did they do much research or did excitement (greed?) Drive some investors?

 

In the deli escorts are often regarded as “TGTBT” I wonder if anyone considered that before investing?

Yes some did. How and why? Because they themselves had done white collar crimes and knew how to recognize it.

[+ E.T.Bass]

Yes some did. How and why? Because they themselves had done white collar crimes and knew how to recognize it.

There were diligent investment entities that steered clear of Madoff. Made me think of the Keating 5 and how many retired folks lost everything due to Charles Keating's investment practices. Those folks thought they had chosen a safe investment class, and were not going for greedy returns.

Perhaps the benefit of diversifying is best learned the hard way.