House of Commons - Justice Committee: Older Prisoners - HC 89

Book excerpt: The number of older prisoners is now very high and is likely to remain so - partly caused by the increase in convictions for historic sexual offences. The growth of the older prison population and the severity of the needs of that population, warrant a national strategy in order to provide for them effectively. Older and disabled prisoners should no longer be held in institutions which cannot meet their basic needs nor should they be released back into the community without adequate support. There are some excellent prison officers and charity workers who are providing essential social care but an ad hoc system means that too often older prisoners have to rely on the goodwill of officers and their fellow inmates to fulfill the most basic of care needs. The responsibility to adapt the prison environment so that it suits less able prisoners lies with a prison's senior management team and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). NOMS should conduct a comprehensive analysis of prisons' physical compliance with disability discrimination and age equality laws. The Committee does not believe there is a need for the expansion of segregated older prisoner units or wings. However, NOMS should ensure all prisons have an older prisoner policy that provides age and ability specific regimes. Furthermore older prisoners who are released after a long period of incarceration must have a resettlement and care plan. At present older prisoners are frequently released to no fixed abode undermining all work that has been made towards resettlement