The Aging Inmate

Abstract

Aging inmates form a distinct cultural subgroup. The antecedents for their unique patterns and needs come from the life cycle of aging within the confines of a total institution. The inmate who ages in place will lack the common social markers experienced by his age cohorts in the outside world. The aging inmate faces challenges to his self-concept related to loss of family, employment, and sexual identity. His sense of autonomy is threatened by loss of self-selective behaviors, personal possessions, and privacy. Needs of the aging prison population will challenge traditional prison resources, including correctional nursing staff and mental health and counseling services. Substantive assistance for the inmate who has aged in prison must be accompanied by an awareness of the cumulative effects of living and aging within the unique sociocultural environment of the total institution.