‘A sense of purpose’: Older prisoners’ experiences of successful ageing behind bars

Abstract

There is growing interest in ageing offenders and their lives in prison. However, this subject is often studied from a deprivation perspective, focusing on issues such as lack of medical care and proper environmental conditions. This article highlights experiences of wellbeing while ageing in confinement, using the conceptual framework of successful ageing. An interpretive phenomenological analysis perspective was used to analyse the narratives of 18 older prisoners. The narratives revealed four themes: ‘Like all other older men’: comparing ageing in prison with ageing within the community; ‘Better than what I have outside’: prison as an escape from a life of loneliness, poverty and delinquency; ‘Here I get some respect’: the older prisoner as a mentor; and ‘I feel accomplished’: experiences of growth and self-discovery as a means for successful ageing in prison. The findings suggest that ageing in prison may not be perceived as a single, unified process, but as a personal and individual phenomenon, and that old age may facilitate positive changes in the lives of ageing offenders in prison.

Challenges in providing ethically competent health care to incarcerated older adults with mental illness: a qualitative study exploring mental health professionals’ perspectives in Canada

“…“Conflicts between the medical and custodial treatment of prisoners” are documented decades ago as serious prison ethical concerns in Canada [ 53 ], and this concern is greater in the case of older offenders in particular [ 54 ]. Incarceration, by its very nature of being a punishment, interferes with dignity, quality of life and healthy ageing [ 6 , 55 ]. The new and complex physical environment of a prison creates a challenging setting for older persons, and the moral implications of incarcerating older persons are thus worth pondering [ 54 ].…”

“…As “mental illness in older prisoners is a result of complex interactions between numerous individual and environmental factors” [ 34 ], efforts should be made to improve prison environments. Prisons have the capacity to serve older persons as an escape from loneliness, delinquency and even poverty, as well as a place of respect and accomplishment [ 6 ]. As indicated in the findings of the current study, despite its challenges, the peer-support program serves as an important strategy to improve the prison environment for incarcerated older persons.…”

“…In Canada as well, there is evidence that peer-support programs are useful especially for the psychological, emotional and social wellbeing of mentally ill inmates [ 71 ]. There are indeed favourable sides to ageing in custody [ 6 , 72 – 74 ], and more strategies are needed to build on existing opportunities.…”

“…The definition of old age differs between the general population and prison settings. While the age used to define old age in the general population is 65 (at least in Europe and the US), old age in prison usually commences at the age of 50 due to the accelerated progression of chronic health conditions among imprisoned older persons [ 6 – 8 ]. As correctional facilities were never intended for older persons, provision of adequate health services to this group is a challenge worldwide.…”

“…A recent systematic review recapitulates similar assertion and adds that literature is scarce about the mental health conditions of older people in prisons whereas literature is robust on the same topic but in communities [ 35 ]. Even though interest to study the health conditions of incarcerated older adults is increasing, studies on this area are not comprehensive [ 6 ]. In Canada, existing literature focuses on general prison population [ 36 , 37 ], or comprises of reviews [ 18 , 19 ].…”