Older People in Prison

Abstract

Older people in prison make up a significant and growing minority in many prison systems around the world and these numbers are projected to increase in the future. There is a substantial body of published research literature highlighting issues in prison healthcare, environments, regimes and programmes in relation to older people, including experiential accounts. That said, there are significant gaps in the literature. One of these gaps relates to law, rules and regulations. This chapter outlines the main themes which have emerged from the research and applies Nussbaum’s capabilities approach to social justice in order to consider whether older people in prison are protected adequately by existing international human rights instruments, concluding with recommendations as to future research, policy and practice.