PATIENTS.

>>> FIRST OFF TONIGHT, FOR FOLKS SERVING TIME IN ILLINOIS PRISONS, THERE ARE ONLY A FEW WAYS TO BE RELEASED BEFORE AN ENTIRE SENTENCE IS SERVED.

THAT'S BECAUSE IN 1978, THE STATE EFFECTIVELY ABOLISHED THE PAROLE SYSTEM.

DEFENDANTS ARE SENTENCED WITH A FIXED RELEASE DATE, AND CAN EARN TIME OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR OR THROUGH PARTICIPATING IN PARTICULAR PROGRAMMING.

THEN, INSTEAD OF PAROLE, THEY ARE UNDER MANDATORY SUPERVISED RELEASE.

BUT HOW MUCH TIME IS ENOUGH?

TONIGHT, THE FIRST OF TWO PART SERIES ON ELDER PAROLE.

THE POPULATION OF ELDERLY INMATES RAPIDLY GROWS , ADVOCATES ARE WORKING TO RESTORE A PAROLE SYSTEM JUST FOR THEM.

DESPITE BEING SENTENCED TO LIVE THE REST OF HIS DAYS IN AN ILLINOIS STATE PRISON -- >> MY BEST FRIEND .

>> 59-YEAR-OLD WILLIAM PEEPLES STILL STRIVES FOR A BETTER LIFE.

>> MY FIRST GRADUATION FROM OAKTON .

>> IT'S TAKEN HIM 37 YEARS TO GET TO THIS PLACE.

HE WAS CONVICTED OF MURDER ALMOST FOUR DECADES AGO, AN ACT FOR WHICH HE TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY.

>> I WANTED TO BE KNOWN THAT I'M NOT INNOCENT.

I AM GUILTY OF THE MURDER THAT I COMMITTED.

I DIDN'T GO IN WITH THE INTENTION OF KILLING ANYBODY.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A BURGLARY.

THE PERSON CAME HOME AND SURPRISED ME, AND I PANICKED , AND NOW ANOTHER HUMAN BEING IS DEAD.

>> Reporter: IN 1990, PEEPLES WAS SENTENCED TO DIE, BUT HIS SENTENCE WAS ONE OF 167 LATER COMMUTED BY THEN GOVERNOR GEORGE RYAN IN 2003.

INSTEAD OF DEATH, PEEPLES IS SERVING LIFE.

>> THAT IS WILLIAM PEEPLES.

HE IS A VERY, VERY GOOD FRIEND.

>> BILL RYAN IS ALSO AN ADVOCATE FOR PEEPLES.

THEY MET WHEN PEEPLES WAS STILL ON DEATH ROW.

>> IT'S NOT BY LETHAL INJECTION.

IT'S BY SAYING IN A SIX BY NINE CELL FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE , AND DYING IN PRISON.

>> PEEPLES ADMITS HIS EARLY YEARS IN PRISON WERE STILL DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADDICTED, AND VIOLENT.

BUT IN THE LAST 27 YEARS, HE SAYS HE'S BECOME A DIFFERENT PERSON, CONVERTING TO ISLAM , EVEN SAYING A SHORT PRAYER BEFORE OUR INTERVIEW.

>> I SEEK REFUGE.

NOW WE'RE READY.

>> HE'S BECOME AN ACCOMPLISHED AND PUBLISHED WRITER.

>> AND THIS ONE I'M PARTICULARLY PROUD OF.

>> AND WAS EVEN ACCEPTED TO THE NORTHWESTERN PRISON EDUCATION PROGRAM, EARNING HIS BACHELOR'S DEGREE THIS YEAR AND WORKING AS A TEACHING ASSISTANT TO HELP FELLOW INCARCERATED STUDENTS.

DESPITE IT ALL -- BUT OTHER THAN A PRIVITY FROM THE GOVERNOR OR A CHANGE IN THE LAWS, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER WAY OUT, UNFORTUNATELY .

>> RYAN AND A GROUP CALLED CITIZENS FOR ELDER PAROLE ARE WORKING TO CREATE THAT CHANGE IN THE LAWS FOR SOME OF THE INMATES OVER THE AGE OF 55, WHO MAKE UP OVER 53% OF IDOC INMATES SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE.

IN PRISON, SOCIAL SCIENTISTS CONSIDER 55 AND OLDER TO THE ELDERLY , 10 YEARS YOUNGER THAN IN THE FREE WORLD.

>> HEALTHCARE IN PRISON IS UNIVERSALLY ABYSMAL , AND PEOPLE AGE AT A MUCH MORE RAPID RATE.

SECOND, THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HARMED BY THE SYSTEM WHO END UP IN THE SYSTEM IN THE FIRST PLACE AGE FASTER IN THE FREE WORLD BECAUSE OF THE SAME FACTORS THAT LEAD TO THEIR INCARCERATION.

POVERTY, ADDICTION, AND OTHER SOCIOECONOMIC CHALLENGES.

>> JENNY SOBLE RUNS THE ILLINOIS PRISON PROJECT, WHICH WORKS TO FIND LEVERS TO RELEASE PEOPLE FROM PRISON DEPENDING ON THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES.

SHE POINTS TO THE STATES TOUGH ON CRIME SENTENCING STRUCTURE, INCLUDING THREE STRIKES AND SENTENCING LAWS LEADING TO THE ESCALATING NUMBER OF OLDER PEOPLE BEHIND BARS.

>> SO SINCE 2005 , THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SERVING SENTENCES LONGER THAN 20 YEARS HAS REALLY SKYROCKETED .

IT'S MOVED FROM JUST OVER A QUARTER OF THE POPULATION TO A LOT CLOSER TO MORE THAN HALF , EVEN TWO THIRDS OF THE POPULATION.

>> THIS MEANS THE NUMBER OF ELDERLY PEOPLE INCARCERATED HAS CLIMBED FROM LESS THAN 4% OF THE INMATE POPULATION TO JUST OVER 14% IN LESS THAN 20 YEARS.

ADVOCATES ARGUE AT THEIR ADVANCED AGE, ELDERLY PRISONERS ARE FAR LESS LIKELY TO COMMIT CRIME IF RELEASED.

>> YOU'RE NOT THE SAME PERSON YOU WERE 20 YEARS AGO .

NOR AM I THE SAME GUY, GOD FORBID , I WAS THE SAME PERSON I WAS 20, 25 YEARS AGO.

WE CHANGE, AND WE GROW, AND, AND THE, AND THE PEOPLE IN PRISON DO THE SAME THING.

>> BUT JOSEPH SALEMME OF THE CHICAGO POLICE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION IS OBOIST, AND POINTS TO THE CURRENT PAROLE PROCESS FOR PEOPLE SENTENCED BEFORE 1978.

HE ARGUES THAT PROCESS MEANS VICTIM'S FAMILIES RELIVE THE TRAUMA OF LOSING A LOVED ONE DURING PAROLE HEARINGS, AND THAT JUSTICE ISN'T SERVED IF A CONVICTED MURDERER IS PAROLED.

>> THEY'RE LIVING IN AGONY , AND, AND WONDERING IF THIS IS THE TIME WHERE THE PERSON WHO KILLED THEIR LOVED ONE IS GETTING OUT , GETTING OUT AND BEING FREE.

AND IT'S, IT'S BRUTAL.

>> SALEMME ARGUES THE CLEMENCY AND APPEALS PROCESS EXISTS TO DECIDE WHO GETS OUT OF PRISON AND WHEN .

THUS, HE SAYS, AN ELDER PAROLE SYSTEM ISN'T NECESSARY.

BUT THE CLEMENCY PROCESS IS UNCERTAIN .

AS WILLIAM PEEPLES AWAITS WORD ON HIS CLEMENCY APPLICATION, HE FINDS WAYS TO MAINTAIN HOPE.

>> I'VE PROVEN THROUGH MY INTERACTIONS WITH SOME OF THE STUDENTS, MY OWN FAMILY, THAT I CAN BE CONSISTENTLY CONTRIBUTE TO MY SOCIETY AND THE PEOPLE AROUND ME.

THAT I WOULD BE AN ASSET TO MY COMMUNITY, AS OPPOSED TO BEING CAGED AND FEARED.

I NEVER EXPECTED TO GET THIS OLD.

IT STILL FLOORS ME WHEN I THINK ABOUT 59.

I REALLY THOUGHT, IRRESPECTIVE OF BEING OFF OF DEATH ROW, THAT I WOULD BE DEAD BY NOW.

SO THAT , MY MERE EXISTENCE GIVES ME HOPE.

>> DURING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, STATE REPRESENTATIVE JUSTIN SLAUGHTER INTRODUCED A BILL WHICH WOULD'VE RESTORED PAROLE FOR INMATES OVER THE AGE OF 55 SERVED AT LEAST 25 CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

ADVOCATES EMPHASIZED IT'S NOT A GUARANTEED RELEASE, BUT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INMATES TO MAKE THEIR CASE TO THE ILLINOIS