Aging, women and health: from the pains of imprisonment to the pains of reintegration.

In this article, we examine the ways in which older women's experiences of imprisonment, aging, and health impact their lives. Specifically, we focus on the community reintegration experiences of older women who have served long prison sentences, exploring the lasting effects of imprisonment and aging on their physical and mental health. Two separate Canadian studies of reintegration, consisting of interviews with older reintegrating women, as well as the professionals who assist them in the community, are used to highlight older women's reintegrations. While researchers have argued that older women should face fewer challenges during reintegration and are more likely to succeed in the community than other reintegrating populations, we find that they experience many difficulties and barriers linked to their age, health and gender.