Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 5
5
It can be very difficult to accommodate some older individuals on the prison estate.
Recommendation
It can be very difficult to accommodate some older individuals on the prison estate. Steps taken by some prisons to develop specific wings or units for older prisoners are welcome, though the variability of individual needs should be considered. Good practice around the accommodation of older prisoners should be shared more widely. Ageing prison population 45 We recommend that all prisons housing a significant number of older prisoners designate appropriate accommodation for those with more complex health and care needs. We further recommend that the Ministry use the expansion of the prison estate to develop additional accommodation that is specifically adapted for older prisoners. The viability and cost of developing bespoke forms of custody for those with disabilities or nearing the end of their lives should also be explored. (Paragraph 45) Regimes and activity for older prisoners
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
• We have produced a model of operational delivery for older prisoners, which collates evidence on best practice for older offenders, sets out the nature of the services and activities a prison should deliver and includes case study examples from across the estate. In addition, HMPPS (then NOMS) commissioned the charity RECOOP to develop the Older Prisoners Good Practice Guide, to help prisons consider ways in which the regime could be tailored to suit older prisoners. • Building on these documents, we are also, as part of the development of the older offenders strategy, exploring how best to embed good practice across the estate. The health and social care of older prisoners