The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (2024)

In Pennsylvania, life means life. If you're convicted of first-degree murder, the crime carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. That explains why about half of the state's oldest inmates remain in Pennsylvania State Prisons. The state has an inmate locator that allows members of the public to search inmates by age, so lehighvalleylive.com used that tool to discover who are the oldest inmates in Pennsylvania and where they're housed.

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (1)

Pennsylvania's newest state prison, State Correctional Institution Phoenix, opened in 2018 | AP Photo

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The crimes

We then cross-referenced those inmate names with the state's Unified Judicial System Web portal to find out what crimes they committed, when they were convicted and how long they were ordered to serve. Many of the oldest inmates are killers, but the oldest one isn't. What did he do? When was he convicted? The answers are below.

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Public access to court cases

We relied on the state online databases for all the information below. In some cases, the Unified Judicial System portal had no record of inmates listed in the inmate locator. A spokeswoman from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said she couldn't provide clarity on why some inmates weren't listed in the portal. With that sidenote, the following are the 20 oldest inmates in Pennsylvania.

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (2)

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Inmate: Donald B. Hofler

Age: 84

Crime: He pleaded guilty in 2005 to two counts of third-degree murder. The English professor at Loyola University Maryland killed his wife after she left him and killed her teenage son, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Sentence: 40 to 80 years

Committing County: York

Current location: SCI Laurel Highlands

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (3)

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Inmate: Paul Gilly

Age: 85

Crime: He was convicted of first-degree murder in 1972. He killed United Mine Workers union reformer Joseph "Jock" Yablonski, his wife and daughter in 1969, according to a triblive.com report.

Sentence: Life

Committing County: Washington

Current location: SCI Albion

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (4)

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Inmate: Shields Frye

Age: 85

Crime: He was convicted of robbery and murder in 1983.

Sentence: Life

Committing County: Philadelphia

Current location: SCI Dallas

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (5)

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Inmate: Ronald Crist Fahlfelder

Age: 85

Crime: No record

Sentence: No record

Committing County: Union

Current location: SCI Laurel Highlands

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Current location: SCI Laurel Highlands

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Inmate: Byron G. Hathaway

Age: 87

Crime: He was convicted of murder in 1981. The victim was his wife, Bernadette, an appeal says.

Sentence: Life

Committing County: Delaware

Current location: SCI Dallas

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (13)

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Inmate: George Verle Conard

Age: 87

Crime: He was convicted of first-degree murder in 1982.

Sentence: Life

Committing County: Perry

Current location: SCI Huntingdon

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Inmate: Joseph Busija

Age: 87

Crime: He pleaded guilty to seven sex offenses, including four felonies, in 2007. He was a carnival worker who molested two children, according to a triblive.com report.

Sentence: 15 to 30 years

Committing County: Westmoreland

Current location: SCI Laurel Highlands

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Inmate: Alfred J. Stoudt

Age: 88

Crime: He pleaded guilty in 2015 to stalking and indecent assault. His victim was an autistic teen, according to a report in the Reading Eagle.

Sentence: He was paroled, found to be a violator and sentenced in 2017 to one to three years.

Committing County: Berks

Current location: SCI Waymart

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (16)

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Inmate: Alice Green

Age: 88

Crime: She was convicted at trial of first-degree murder in 1978. A court appeal says she stabbed Horace Alexander for "cheating" on her.

Sentence: Life

Committing County: Philadelphia

Current location: SCI Muncy

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (17)

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Inmate: Daniel Derence

Age: 88

Crime: He pleaded guilty to three counts of rape in 1996, was paroled and pleaded guilty to possession of child p*rnography in 2014.

Sentence: Five to 10 years on the first conviction and 9 to 18 months on the second conviction. It's unclear from public records why he's an inmate even though his maximum sentence in both crimes has expired.

Committing County: Allegheny

Current location: SCI Albion

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (18)

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Inmate: George Rogers

Age: 90

Crime: No record

Sentence: No record

Committing County: Crawford

Current location: SCI Huntingdon

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Inmate: Ralph M. Duncan

Age: 90

Crime: He sexually assaulted a teenage girl and intimidated two witnesses, according to a report on triblive.com. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault and intimidating a witness in 2013.

Sentence: 8.5 to 30 years

Committing County: Indiana

Current location: SCI Houtzdale

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (20)

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Inmate: Joseph Budick

Age: 91

Crime: He sexually abused a girl between the years of 2005 and 2008, according to the Times Herald of Norristown, Pa. He pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse in 2014.

Sentence: Four to 10 years

Committing County: Montgomery

Current location: SCI Mahanoy

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (21)

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Inmate: Byron B. Chadderdon

Age: 92

Crime: He took more than $670,000 from his sister's trust fund, according to a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He pleaded no contest to five counts of theft and single counts of receiving stolen property and misapplication of funds in 2014.

Sentence: Three to seven years

Committing County: Allegheny

Current location: SCI Laurel Highlands

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READ MORE

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter@RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.

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The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (2024)

FAQs

What happens to elderly inmates? ›

Elderly inmates are the fastest growing demographic group in our state and federal prisons. Many of these aging inmates are in prison serving life without parole sentences due to the “war on drugs” and “three strikes” laws of the 1980s and 90s. “One out of three inmates is sentenced to life terms.

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What are the oldest still running prisons? ›

The 1798 Penitentiary House, which was the first state prison in New Jersey and the third in the nation after the Walnut Street Jail in Philadelphia and Newgate in New York City, is also the oldest building still in operation as part of an active, working prison in the United States.

What happens to prisoners with Alzheimer's? ›

Some states are finding innovate ways of dealing with the growing number of prisoners with dementia. One of those states is California. It allows fellow inmates called “Golden Coats” to take care of elderly inmates with dementia.

Know More ›

How many people are currently incarcerated in Pennsylvania? ›

In Pennsylvania, 73,000 people are incarcerated and another 171,500 are on probation or parole.

What are the challenges of elderly inmates? ›

Older adults in prison often exhibit physical and mental health problems, including dementia, and histories of trauma and chronic stress. Over 3,000 of these men and women will die each year in prison. Listed below are resources related to the needs, policies, programs, and legal issues of aging in prison.

Learn More ›

What is the average lifespan of a prisoner? ›

The average age of incarceration is 25. The average prisoner dies behind bars at age 64. Thus, the average time served by people serving LWOPs is thus 39 years. Inmates older than 55 have an average of three chronic conditions and as many as 20% have a mental illness.

Keep Reading ›

Who is the longest living inmate? ›

Paul Geidel Jr. (April 21, 1894 – May 1, 1987) was the longest-serving prison inmate in the United States whose sentence ended with his parole, a fact that earned him a place in Guinness World Records. He is now the 2nd longest-serving inmate next to Francis Clifford Smith who survived 70 years, 31 days.

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Who has the worst prisons in the United States? ›

ADX Florence, USA

ADX Florence, located in the United States, has earned its reputation as one of the world's worst prisons due to its exceptionally high-security measures. Commonly known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” ADX Florence houses some of the most dangerous and notorious criminals.

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Who is the oldest female inmates? ›

Woman, 91, Is Oldest Female Inmate In the second of two reports on elderly inmates in U.S. prisons, a look at the case of the oldest female prisoner in the country. Lucille Keppen is 91 and is serving time in a state prison in Minnesota.

What happens to the body when a prisoner dies? ›

Whenever any person confined in any state institution subject to the jurisdiction of the Director of Corrections dies, and no demand or claim is made upon the director or his or her designee for the body of the deceased inmate by the inmate's next of kin or legally appointed representative, the director shall dispose ...

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What happens to sick prisoners? ›

Hospitalized Prisoners: When a prisoner is seriously ill or injured, he/she may be hospitalized, in either a prison hospital or a community hospital.

See Details ›

How many prisoners have dementia? ›

In the prison population, one study found that 8% of the older prison population had suspected dementia or mild cognitive impairment (Forsyth et al.

The 20 oldest inmates in Pa. state prisons and why they're still incarcerated (2024)

FAQs

What happens to elderly inmates? ›

What happens to sick prisoners? ›

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