This research examines the phenomenon of elderly persons in prison in the United States. For purposes of this research, elderly is defined as age 55 and older.
THE PROPORTION OF ELDERLY PERSONS IN PRISON
In 1988, approximately 604,000 persons were federal and state prisoners (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1990). Of that number, approximately 20,000 were age 55 or older (U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1991). Thus, in 1988, approximately 3.3 percent of the nation's prison population was age 55 or older, while that age group accounted for approximately 21.4 percent of the total population (U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1991). Those data in and of themselves do not appear to constitute a significant problem. There are other factors, however, which cause the proportion of elderly persons in the prison population to be a cause of concern.
The fastest growing segment of the general population in the United States is the age 55 and older segment. Thus, if no other relevant factors changed, an increase in the proportion of elderly persons in the prison population could reasonably be anticipated in coming years. Lengthy and mandatory sentences following in the wake of harsher public attitudes towards all law breakers, however, is exacerbating the problem (Chaneles, 1987). Exceptionally long sentences, with little or no probability of parole, mean that many young persons sentenced to incarceration will grow old in prison. This factor in itself will cause the proportion of elderly prisoners to increase. Further, as the lifespan of people in the United States is extended, increasing numbers of elderly people are vigorous individuals, as opposed to being the stereotypical frail elderly person. Unfortunately, it turns out that the vigorous elderly are far more willing to risk incarceration through the commission of antisocial acts than...