The Government must create a national strategy to manage and care for rising numbers of older people in prison, a charity has said.
It comes after a House of Commons justice committee inquiry into the ageing prison population in 2020 raised concerns including poor coordination between prisons, local authorities and social care providers, and a shortage of activities tailored for older prisoners.
But a government pledge to create a strategy in response has failed to materialise.
A new report by the Prison Reform Trust highlights ‘the continuing indignity, absence of hope, and lack of opportunities to contribute positively to prison life for many older prisoners’.
It comes as the number of prisoners aged 50 and over in England and Wales continues to grow, rising from 5,000 in 2003 to more than 14,000 in 2023, driven by longer life expectancies generally, and specific patterns of crime and sentencing.
The charity's report says older prisoners must have health and social care services equivalent to those within the community and should be prepared for their release and resettled effectively.
Councils should ring-fence Care Act 2014 funds for those in prison or being released, the charity said.
It also recommended the 'more appropriate' placement of older prisoners, arguing that while the provision of secure social care in the community is controversial, the Government ‘should pilot such an approach, engaging the public in the process.’
