Doing Time - older people in prison

prison cell with bed and a walking stick leaning against a bedside cabinet with a pile of books on it

The prison population is ageing. People over 60 are the fastest growing age group in custody. The last eight years have seen increasing evidence of the needs of older people in prison. This has led to a developing awareness among prison staff and prisoners of the difficulties faced by older people and a greater understanding that the current response is often inadequate, and prisons ill-equipped, to meet their needs.

With the support of the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales, the Prison Reform Trust has audited the needs and experiences of older people in prison and published a survey of good practice work with older people in prison.

Read more about this programme of work in this section.

latest news

Older people in prison - news stories

New facts and figures reveal many solutions to crime lie outside prison bars

29/06/2011 00:01:00

Community penalties are now outperforming short prison sentences, according to statistics released today from the latest edition of the Prison Reform Trust’s Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile. If government succeeds in reforming the justice system, building on the success of community measures including diversion into health treatment where appropriate, and holding prison numbers to an unavoidable minimum, it could deliver on its promise of a “rehabilitation revolution”.

Doing Time: Good practice with older people in prison – the views of prison staff

24/06/2010 12:11:00

People aged 60 and over are now the fastest growing age group in the prison estate. Good practice exists and can be spread but work with older people in prison is not being properly supported by government and too often depends on the goodwill and enthusiasm of individual staff, according a Prison Reform Trust report.

Older prisoners still face double punishment

13/08/2008 14:38:00

"It's not acceptable that, four years on from the Chief Inspector’s previous report, older prisoners still face the double punishment of being locked up in prisons that take little, or no, account of the needs of the elderly."

Doing time, the experiences and needs of older people in prison

10/07/2008 14:30:00

A report published by the Prison Reform Trust provides evidence that older prisoners face isolation and discrimination because the government is failing to meet their specialist health, social and resettlement needs, with some prisoners who use wheelchairs unable to join in day-to-day prison activities.