Abstract
Summary In light of longstanding concern about the lack of social care in prisons, the 2014 Care Act made local authorities in England responsible for identifying, assessing and meeting prisoners’ social care needs. However, service planning is difficult, for little is known about the level of demand or the extent to which the needs of older and younger prisoners differ. Against this background, face-to-face interviews (including screens for social care needs, substance misuse and mental health problems) were undertaken with a sample of male prisoners in North-West England. Findings Three hundred and ninety-nine participants were aged 18–49 and 80 aged 50 plus. Overall, more than a 10th of participants had problems maintaining personal hygiene, dressing and/or getting around the prison safely; a significant minority lacked meaningful occupation; and approaching a sixth acknowledged problems forming/maintaining relationships. Older prisoners were significantly more likely than younger prisoners to need help with personal hygiene, dressing and moving around safely and to identify problems with their physical health and memory. Applications The findings highlight the substantial number of older prisoners who could potentially benefit from some form of social care and support if they are to maintain their safety and dignity and make best use of their time in prison. They also underline the need to develop suitable screening and assessment tools for older prisoners, and for further research on the best service models for prisoners requiring intimate personal care.
Highlights
Against a background of ongoing growth in the total prison population, the expanding number of older prisoners and longer prison sentences, the level of social care needs in prisons in England is increasing (HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Care Quality Commission, 2018; Parker, McArthur, & Poxton, 2007; Stürup-Toft, O’Moore & Plugge, 2018)
Information was collected about 482 prisoners, representing approximately 12.5 per cent of the local prison population
Further to the introduction of the Care Act in April 2015, the findings presented in this paper provide some of the most detailed information to date on prisoners’ social care needs and compare the profiles of older and younger prisoners, an area about which evidence is scarce
Summary
Against a background of ongoing growth in the total prison population, the expanding number of older prisoners and longer prison sentences, the level of social care needs in prisons in England is increasing (HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Care Quality Commission, 2018; Parker, McArthur, & Poxton, 2007; Stürup-Toft, O’Moore & Plugge, 2018). Older prisoners are the fastest growing subgroup; in the last 15 years the number of prisoners aged 50 or over has nearly trebled with one in six prisoners in this age group, and the number over 70 has grown still faster (Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, 2017; Prison Reform Trust, 2018). This ageing profile is partly due to wider demographic changes (Omolade, 2014). Increasing sentence lengths and a surge in retrospective prosecutions for historic crimes (including sex offences) have played a role (Moll, 2013; Omolade, 2014; Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, 2017)
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