Written evidence from An individual
PRISON REFORM FOR OLDER PRISONERS.
From the spouse of an older prisoner.
After watching the Panorama special last Monday night, I was both appalled & upset by the behavior portrayed by the inmates of the Northumberland prison it was secretly filmed in. It is concerning to think that the British public and politicians might assume that all inmates behave that way in custody.
The last thing neither the embattled prison service, nor prison reform needs is for the TV programme to fuel one of the tabloid newspapers to start a campaign where by popular vote we “Lock em’ up & throw away the key”. It is already such an unglamorous & unfashionable cause.
Overstretched prisons are expected to deal with all that society has failed: those with drink, drug or mental problems, “angry young men “to whom violence is second nature, as well as some very dangerous men who need to be kept away from the public.
It could be argued that men who behave like that inside prisons would indeed behave in the same way if they were in society.
With prison numbers at an all-time high, & prisons bursting at the seams, they are unhealthy & dangerous places for both the staff who work there & the prisoners themselves. Surely there must be a way to indentify prisoners & in particular, older prisoners who have behaved well throughout their incarceration, & not deemed a danger to the public who could be rewarded with early release through tagging?
As the wife of a” senior citizen” with a long sentence still to serve, I know there are a number of older, likeminded prisoners who would not dream of indulging or involving themselves in the sort of behavior shown on TV & just want to get through their term in safety & without incident. They may have made a very bad judgment late in life & never intend to repeat it. They aren’t “revolving door “re-offenders.
Is there something to be learned about prison systems from other countries such as Portugal, where prisoners’ eligibility for reduced sentences /re-categorization/parole will be looked at after one sixth of their sentence? Skilled prison officers in conjunction with probation officers ought to be able to identify prisoners, who would safely serve the remainder of their sentence within their community, close to their homes & families.
Would this not be a more cost effective solution?
The prison population is ageing along with society in general & prisons are not designed to be old age care homes. Again, with dementia on the increase, how will prisons deal with men who can’t remember simple things, & expect them to stick to the disciplines & the regimes of prison life without attracting IPPs?
What is the point of keeping men in their 70’s & 80’s in prison? They won’t be taught a skill as they will be past retirement age when finally released, too old for work.
Health & mobility may be affected through years of poor prison nutrition & limited healthcare. I don’t wish to make my observations personal but I can already see a decline in my husband’s health after 3 years.
Do they have a trade or a skill they could use within the community whilst they still have the bodily strength? Why not release them under license to do something useful & be of help to their spouses & partners (who are probably ageing with them) before they become reliant on the health services? (A drain on public resources under a different guise!)
I am surely typical of the wives & spouses of prisoners who fall into this age category, worrying constantly about our own approaching old age & all the difficulties it brings without a spouse at home .
I live in hope that the excellent work that both the Howard League & the Prison Reform Trust do to highlight ways to bring prison numbers down, & all the submissions you receive, will not fall on deaf ears & will enable you to finally push through some long awaited reforms
I have tried not to make my observations personal, other than those I see as a visiting spouse, & I have deliberately not championed my husband’s individual case, but I admit the category of older prisoners is dear to my heart.
My husband & I will both be in our late 70’s when he’s first eligible for release.
I live in constant terror that one of us…….. Or neither of us will survive that long.