Overall, the populations of Western countries are ageing, and new technologies in forensic science, changes in prosecution and sentencing laws, alongside reduced options for early release, have contributed to the growth of the older prisoner population. This increase in the ageing population in the correctional setting has given rise to increasingly complex healthcare needs in the prisoner population who present with poorer physical, social and mental health than the general population. Prisons have not been developed for older people or their healthcare, or for management of declining cognitive abilities associated with dementia. This leaves the older prisoner with chronic health problems vulnerable to poorer health outcomes in this setting. Healthcare services within the correctional environment needs to match that in the general community and this requires the development of policies to support staff to put processes in place that will improve health outcomes for prisoners.
Part of the book: Cognitive Disorders