More on Elder Inmates

We have previously posted about the issues being faced by older prisoners (September 13, 2013 and October 28, 2013) and the American Society on Aging recently added to the literature with the November 14, 2013 article by Tina Maschi, titled Extending Elder Justice and Human Rights to Incarcerated Older Adults.  The article references their 2010 study, makes several key points and concludes:

As the human rights and elder justice movements advocate for elder rights, we must not neglect older adults behind bars. The aging community can take a leadership position and build a coalition to advocate for more compassionate practices in the criminal justice system. These types of practices would foster human dignity, respect and positive coping, especially for older adults. Infusing compassion, forgiveness and mercy into our interactions with and study of older adults in prison holds the promise of disconnecting the link between traumatic grief and recidivism. It also has the potential to foster reconciliation between the survivors of crimes and those who committed them.