Abstract
Despite falling crime rates in England and Wales over the past 20 years, the number of prisoners has doubled. People over the age of 50 constitute the fastest growing section of the prison population, and increasing numbers of older prisoners are dying in custody. This article discusses some of the issues raised by these changing demographics and draws on preliminary findings from a study underway in North West England. It describes the context behind the rise in the numbers of older prisoners; explores the particular needs of this growing population; and discusses some of the practical and emotional challenges for prison officers, health care staff, and fellow prisoners who are involved in caring for dying prisoners in a custodial environment.
Highlights
Background and ContextIn the United Kingdom (UK), the number of older prisoners has rapidly increased in recent years (Prison Reform Trust, 2015), and the need for palliative and end-of-life care has grown correspondingly
Most prison officers do not expect to be working in close proximity to illness and death when they take up the job; one senior officer in our study described the environment as ‘‘more like a care home than a prison wing’’ and reflected on how shocked and surprised staff are when first confronted by it
HMPS has begun to respond to the challenges presented by dying prisoners, and some good examples are emerging of palliative care services being initiated and strengthened
Summary
In the United Kingdom (UK), the number of older prisoners has rapidly increased in recent years (Prison Reform Trust, 2015), and the need for palliative and end-of-life care has grown correspondingly. Neoliberalism promotes individualism and erodes collectivism (Miller & Rose, 2008), and in the case of prisons undermines the identities of ‘‘screw’’ (officer) and ‘‘con’’ (prisoner), which embody aspects of a positive collective identity as well as pejorative qualities. This encompasses a sense of employment stability and investment in forms of solidarity that can be vital in risky situations (and can be problematic in officers’ unwillingness to ‘‘grass’’ on any other officer’s inappropriate behavior). Hulley (2014) erode these distinctions and protections, leaving both staff and prisoners more vulnerable when faced with an older, frail, and dying prison population
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