Older prisoners: trends and challenges

Provides statistics showing the number of older prisoners in NSW and Australia, along with historical trends that have seen a rise in the overall number and proportion of older prisoners, including older female and Indigenous prisoners. Introduction Australians are expected to continue living longer in the coming decades, benefiting from one of the world’s longest life expectancies. Although this is undoubtedly a positive development, an older Australia creates numerous challenges, notably increased health and aged care costs. Australian prisons will face these same challenges, as increasing numbers of ‘older prisoners’— commonly defined as inmates aged 50 years and over — place additional strain on State government authorities and resources.   This e-brief looks at a range of issues relating to older prisoners in NSW, as well as in other Australian and international jurisdictions. The paper provides statistics showing the number of older prisoners in NSW and Australia, along with historical trends that have seen a rise in the overall number and proportion of older prisoners, including older female and Indigenous prisoners.   An ageing prison population brings with it a number of problems, including: increased costs of remand; health issues such as age- related functional decline; a lack of appropriate and meaningful programs for older prisoners ; and release and resettlement issues once older inmates leave prison. In response to these concerns, stakeholders have advocated for a range of policies that could more effectively support the needs of older prisoners. Some policies, such as tailored facilities for older prisoners, have been implemented in NSW. Chapter 8 of this paper notes a broader range of policies that have been implemented overseas and which are considered to be best practice responses to the challenges of an ageing prison population