"Pensioner prisons" could cope with ageing inmates

The United Kingdom's Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke, made waves in recent weeks when he suggested that the carceral system could adopt "pensioner prisons" to better provide services and care to ageing prisoners, who frequently require palliative care and specialist treatment. Clarke emphasizes the importance of adopting an individualized approach to suit to each prisoner's needs and provide the greatest level of security. People over 60 are the country's fastest-growing demographic of prisoners, with more than 4,000 inmates nationwide over the age of 60 and nearly 100 over the age of 80. These figures have risen dramatically in recent years, with the number of older prisoners increasing by nearly three times since 2001.

“The proportion in the prison population above work age is increasing quite dramatically," Clarke said in an interview with the London Evening Standard. “A lot of these people are on very long sentences ... and at some point there needs to be some consideration of whether prison is the right environment, whether it’s necessary to hold them in the security levels that prisons provide, or whether some other form of secure accommodation more suited to managing the risk that they present is found.

”At the International Federation on Ageing's 14th Global Conference, to be held August 8-10, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, experts will discuss older prisoners as part of a broad, conference-wide conversation on addressing inequalities in ageing. To learn more about the conference program and themes, and to register your interest in attending, visit www.ifa2018.com.

Source: