Faculty Publications

Older Adult Inmates: The Challenge For Social Work

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Criminal justice, Gerontology, Inmates, Older adults, Prison community

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Social Work

Volume

54

Issue

2

First Page

117

Last Page

124

Abstract

Older adult inmates have grown both in proportion and in number due to the confluence of a number of factors. This aging of the prison population has created a host of policy and practice issues that encompass justice considerations, cost containment issues, and biopsychosocial care' needs. The older prisoner's physical, social, and psychological needs are complex and necessitate gerontologically based service delivery systems. The intent of this article is to help in the preparation of social work practitioners who can engage in older adult prison advocacy work by familiarizing them with a review of pertinent literature. Topics discussed include the following: the characteristics of older adult inmates, the special needs of older offenders and accompanying service delivery issues, and the use of selective decarceration as one strategy for addressing the problem of prison overcrowding. The authors conclude the article with a summary of key challenges social workers face in assisting this population.

Department

Department of Social Work

Original Publication Date

1-1-2009

DOI of published version

10.1093/sw/54.2.117

Link to Full Text

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