title: Older and incarcerated: policy implications of aging prison populations.
abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the policy Implications of aging prison populations. Design/methodology/approach An examination of the worldwide aging trend in prison and its implications for correctional policy, including an examination of population aging in California prisons as a case example of needed reform. Findings Prison populations worldwide are aging at an unprecedented rate, and age-related medical costs have had serious consequences for jurisdictions struggling to respond to the changes. These trends are accompanied by a growing body of evidence that old age is strongly correlated with desistance from criminal behavior, suggesting an opportunity to at least partially address the challenges of an aging prison population through early release from prison for appropriate persons. Originality/value Some policies do exist that aim to reduce the number of older, chronically ill or disabled and dying people in prison, but they have not achieved that goal on a sufficient scale. An examination of the situation in California shows that recognizing how the healthcare needs of incarcerated people change as they age - and how aging and aging-related health changes often decrease an older person's likelihood of repeat offense - is critical to achieving effective and efficient policies and practices aimed at adequately caring for this population and reducing their numbers in prisons when appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of California , Davis, Davis, California, USA.
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Psick
authors.affiliation: University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley, California, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicine, Department of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco , San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco , San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Cyrus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ahalt
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002140:California; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006304:Health Status; D006806:Human Rights / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011330:Prisons / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Aging prison populations; Correctional healthcare; Criminal justice health; Older offenders; Prison overcrowding; Public policy