NCJ Number
86537
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 44 Issue: 6 Dated: (December 1982) Pages: 14-16,20,24-26,34,36,38-39,41
Editor(s)
A Breed
Date Published
1982
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Three types of inmates -- the elderly, youths incarcerated in adult facilities, and disabled persons -- are discussed with respect to the alienation they experience and their program needs.
Abstract
Although inmates over the age of 50 constitute only about 5 percent of the United States prison population, increasing numbers of persons will grow old in prison as a result of such factors as the trend toward longer sentences. However, limited attention and correctional resources are currently being devoted to elderly inmates. Their specific needs in such areas as living space, physical and emotional health, program variety, and prerelease and postrelease services should be addressed. Comprehensive training programs are needed so that staff and correctional programming will keep pace with new developments in gerontology. Inmates in general and youths, in particular, experience much alienation due to feelings of isolation, lack of self-worth, and exploitation that accompany incarceration. The prison setting is clearly society's major source of alienation. More systematic use of alternatives to incarceration is therefore recommended. Programs which should be considered for youthful offenders include house arrest, home detention, day treatment programs, community supervisor programs, evening report programs, community supervisor programs, evening report programs, runaway programs, group homes, and youth advocate programs. Disabled inmates experienced alienation from all levels of society as well as from the inmate culture. However, no significant political movements, legislation, or court rulings have focused on the rights of disabled inmates. The choice between special facilities for disabled inmates and the newer concepts of mainstreaming and independent living poses a major program planning dilemma. Downclassification and mainstreaming through training in independent living skills, as well as prerelease and postrelease programming should lower recidivism rates for disabled offenders. These programs will provide new choices to alienated disabled inmates and reduce correctional costs for these inmates. Twenty-eight references are listed.