The stereotypical image of a person in prison is a young, healthy man, not an older woman who requires a walker (or Zimmer/walking frame) to navigate the prison grounds. In recent decades, for the first time in American history, we have been faced with the predicament of a steadily increasing ageing prison population. Politicians and correctional systems are confronted with a number of serious issues regarding this unique prison population. The situation of the geriatric person in prison does not enjoy the popularity of other correctional research endeavours such as inmate subculture or educational and vocational programming opportunities. However, the needs of elderly people in prison are a growing concern for prison administrators and researchers as this population continues to grow.

Ageing in general

Only within the past few decades have researchers begun to systematically study the physical health of older people in general (Markides, 1992) and older women in particular. Age is now recognized as having a major impact on health with current research spanning various age groups, including the middle aged and the elderly. In addition to physical health, the process of ageing is also associated with changes in mental health.

Ageing can be defined as the ‘sum total of changes occurring in an individual from the time of birth throughout the course of a lifetime’ (Mummah and Smith, 1981, p 21). Gerontologists do not agree on a specific chronological baseline for the beginnings of what is commonly called old age. Rather, gerontologists tend to group people into categories. Such categories include ‘older’ for 55 and older, ‘elderly’ for 65 and older, and ‘aged’ for 85 and older (Holzman et al, 1987); or the ‘young-old’ as 60 to 74, the ‘middle-old’ as 75 to 84, and the ‘old-old’ as 85 and over (Yurick et al, 1984).

Ageing is shaped by the interaction of a number of factors including heredity, lifestyle, socioeconomic conditions, and access to medical services. As people age, physiological changes occur and although changes may vary from one older adult to another, they are referred to as the normal ageing process. The senses dull, and information is processed more slowly and less accurately. Bones are likely to become brittle due to decreased mineral content.