1. The Aging Inmate
Angelia Handshoe:
Cultural Diversity

2. Angelia Handshoe:
Cultural Diversity
Why the rise
• Changes in laws
▫ Truth-in sentencing laws
▫ Mandatory sentences
▫ Three-strikes-you’re-out laws
• Aging society
▫ Baby boomers
▫ Longer life spans
▫ Life threatening disease among the younger
inmates

3. Angelia Handshoe:
Cultural Diversity
Politicians want to get tougher on
crime
• Mandatory sentencing, Truth-in-
sentencing, three-strikes-you’re-out

4. Angelia Handshoe:
Cultural Diversity
Longer life-span and diseases inflicting our youth

5. Angelia Handshoe:
Cultural Diversity
100%
90%
The Aging inmate
80%
The inmates over the age 55
70% make up 5.5% of the total male
population and 3.5% of the
60% total female population. They
over 55 account for about 1.5 million
50% White inmates in the state and federal
Black prison system.
40%
Hispanic
30%
20%
10%
0%
male female

6. Angelia Handshoe:
Cultural Diversity
The need for changes in policy and
procedures
• Prisoners age 7 to 10 years faster in a prison
system
• They require more health care
• They create new medical issues within an
institution
• They require more assistance in social and
psychological areas

7. Angelia Handshoe:
Cultural Diversity
The differences among inmates
older younger
• Cost: $69,000 • Cost: $20,000
• Recreation
▫ Horseshoes, shuffleboard
• Recreation
• Training ▫ Weights, basketball
▫ Wellness and aging • Training
programs, Preventative care
programs ▫ GED, vocational
• Services • Services
▫ Walkers, wheelchairs, dentur ▫ Drug and alcohol, anger
es, special diets management
• Medical issues
▫ Diabetes, heart • Medical issues
disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, ▫ AIDS and hepatitis
dementia, and strokes

8. Angelia Handshoe:
Cultural Diversity
The older inmate
• Many will become vulnerable, or victims
amongst the younger inmates
• They are denied participation in programs that
may be needed for parole considerations
• They do not hear as well or move as quickly
making them at risk for completing tasks
efficiently.

9. Angelia Handshoe:
Cultural Diversity
Religion
Older inmates usually
abandon their original
religion because they
usually abandon their
ties to their families.
They no longer use
religion as a way to
adapt to prison life but
as away to deal with
their death.

10. Angelia Handshoe:
Cultural Diversity
Changes being made
•.
Facilities are becoming better equipped to deal
with the issues of the elderly.
Many of the staff have begun training to assist
the aging inmates.
Programs are being aimed more toward the
aging inmates needs.
Housing units are being set-up for the elderly
prisoners.