Ageing well in prison
Last summer, Age Scotland’s Health and Wellbeing Team was invited by colleagues at HMP Shotts and NHS Lanarkshire to explore with them ways of supporting older people in prison to age well.
They told us that, while there are initiatives to support health and wellbeing in prison, none had focussed on the needs of older age groups. With about a quarter of those imprisoned in HMP Shotts aged 50 plus, they saw a clear need.
And so, we met with a group of older men in HMP Shotts, all long-term prisoners, to find out about their experiences and hopes regarding ageing in prison. From this, we prepared a programme of weekly interactive ‘ageing well’ sessions, which we delivered over 7 weeks in January and February. Topics covered included moving your body, connecting with others, exploring food and drink, keeping your brain active, and emotional wellbeing.
We produced an interactive workbook which our group members could take back to their cells between sessions, helping them to embed and reflect on what they were learning. Our focus was on supporting the men to identify areas in their daily routines where they had power to make small and sustainable changes for better ageing.
Attendance was optional for the men, and the fact that most came back week after week was noted by our partners as being quite unusual in the prison environment. By the end of the programme feedback indicated we had made a difference.
One man said “I never usually leave the hall. Coming here really gee’s me up. I enjoy it!” Another said he had realised he had more control over how he ages than he had thought. Our partners, who supported each session, were also positive. “The prisoners engaged really well with the facilitators and with each other as the programme progressed,” said one. Another that “the programme was well structured with good discussions and physical activities which everyone took part in.”
The age-profile of HMP Shotts inmates is not exceptional. 17 percent of people in prison in Scotland are now aged 50 or older, compared to around 7 percent in 2010. Research indicates the age-related challenges, such as dementia, are becoming more common in our prisons.
Some studies have even suggested that people in prison may, on average, be older in body and mind than people in general population of the same age. A case can therefore be made for more dedicated health and wellbeing interventions of this kind with older prisoners, enabling them to age better in prison, and on release.
