Physical effects and needs of older offenders
Throughout the literature, delivering age-appropriate health care is a main goal shared by multiple publications (Aday, 2013; Aday & Krabill, 2012; Handtke & Wagmo, 2014; Human Rights Watch, 2012). The growing demand for medical services within correctional facilities has become an important issue in prison health care. Like all other prisoners, older offenders have the right to be treated with age-appropriate health care services and reasonable accommodations for all disabilities (Human Rights Watch, 2012). As such, it becomes important to highlight the specific health concerns of the older population in order to identify their needs. In turn, older inmates have poorer health than any other offender …show more content…
Consequently throughout the literature, it is made apparent that there is little to no emphasis on the impact of a prisoner’s social belonging or loss of social status. Since older offenders often carry longer prison sentences they are more likely to lose touch with the outside world. In fact, older offenders suffer from the loss of a support system while they are incarcerated and upon their release from prison (Aday, 1994). While older inmates are aging while incarcerated, their parents, siblings, partners and children are also growing older in the population. However, some older individuals may purposefully isolate themselves from family and friends to protect them from associated stigmas, pain and shame (Hurley, 2014). In addition, within prison, many older offenders have difficulty in socializing with the younger prisoners, as they may fear being victimized by bullying or exploitation (Hayes, Burns, Turnbill, & Shaw, 2013). As such, not only are older offenders deprived of their liberty from the outside world, but interactions with significant others and with other prisoners are also reduced. It becomes important to highlight these social needs, because if they are not being met with appropriate mental health care or with reasonable accommodations they may have detrimental effects on the older offender …show more content…
In other words, older individuals are deprived of living through fundamental social events in multiple stages of their lives. Social markers present in the general population are not always present in prison (Martel, 2014). These experiences are especially true for the older offender. These markers include, being given an honorific as a form of address indicating respect like being called “Mr.” or “Mrs”. In addition, they also life events like the possibility of getting married, having children or grandchildren and being able to hold an employment (Martel, 2014). Older offenders are deprived of those sociocultural reminders that accompany aging. As there are no jobs suited for an older individual in prison, they fundamentally loose out on any social gratification of employment. For an older offender, they are missing out on the opportunity to declare that they are retired and claim a federal and provincial pension. The Government of Canada has suspended their rights to old age security and supplemental guaranteed funds (Martel, 2014) Retirement meant the emergence of old age as a distinct phase in life. Structurally set apart from active life with clear chronological boundaries (Minkler & Cole, 1999). For offenders serving long sentences, these are the realities they
Throughout the literature, delivering age-appropriate health care is a main goal shared by multiple publications (Aday, 2013; Aday & Krabill, 2012; Handtke & Wagmo, 2014; Human Rights Watch, 2012). The growing demand for medical services within correctional facilities has become an important issue in prison health care. Like all other prisoners, older offenders have the right to be treated with age-appropriate health care services and reasonable accommodations for all disabilities (Human Rights Watch, 2012). As such, it becomes important to highlight the specific health concerns of the older population in order to identify their needs. In turn, older inmates have poorer health than any other offender …show more content…
Consequently throughout the literature, it is made apparent that there is little to no emphasis on the impact of a prisoner’s social belonging or loss of social status. Since older offenders often carry longer prison sentences they are more likely to lose touch with the outside world. In fact, older offenders suffer from the loss of a support system while they are incarcerated and upon their release from prison (Aday, 1994). While older inmates are aging while incarcerated, their parents, siblings, partners and children are also growing older in the population. However, some older individuals may purposefully isolate themselves from family and friends to protect them from associated stigmas, pain and shame (Hurley, 2014). In addition, within prison, many older offenders have difficulty in socializing with the younger prisoners, as they may fear being victimized by bullying or exploitation (Hayes, Burns, Turnbill, & Shaw, 2013). As such, not only are older offenders deprived of their liberty from the outside world, but interactions with significant others and with other prisoners are also reduced. It becomes important to highlight these social needs, because if they are not being met with appropriate mental health care or with reasonable accommodations they may have detrimental effects on the older offender …show more content…
In other words, older individuals are deprived of living through fundamental social events in multiple stages of their lives. Social markers present in the general population are not always present in prison (Martel, 2014). These experiences are especially true for the older offender. These markers include, being given an honorific as a form of address indicating respect like being called “Mr.” or “Mrs”. In addition, they also life events like the possibility of getting married, having children or grandchildren and being able to hold an employment (Martel, 2014). Older offenders are deprived of those sociocultural reminders that accompany aging. As there are no jobs suited for an older individual in prison, they fundamentally loose out on any social gratification of employment. For an older offender, they are missing out on the opportunity to declare that they are retired and claim a federal and provincial pension. The Government of Canada has suspended their rights to old age security and supplemental guaranteed funds (Martel, 2014) Retirement meant the emergence of old age as a distinct phase in life. Structurally set apart from active life with clear chronological boundaries (Minkler & Cole, 1999). For offenders serving long sentences, these are the realities they