Kerbs John J, Jolley Jennifer M
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
Washington University, St. Louis, MO.
Crim Justice Rev. 2009 Mar;34(1):119-139. doi: 10.1177/0734016808324245. Epub 2008 Sep 10.
The growing number of older prisoners in state and federal prisons has fostered an important discussion in literature regarding the potential benefits of age-segregated living arrangements for older inmates. This article begins with a brief review of the reasons for America's aging prison population. Thereafter, it uses a multidisciplinary literature review to clarify a 4-point rationale for age-segregated prisons: (a) cost savings via centralized health care for older prisoners; (b) the reduction of civil liabilities for correctional systems that centralize disability services as per requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; (c) the advancement of prisoner safety for older inmates; and (d) the promotion of rehabilitation by advancing treatment opportunities with a group that is most likely to desist from future criminal activity (in part) due to age-related desistance from crime. Conclusions focus on age segregation within the historical context of segregation in prison based on sociodemographic characteristics.
州立和联邦监狱中老年囚犯数量的不断增加，引发了学界关于为老年囚犯提供年龄隔离居住安排的潜在益处的重要讨论。本文首先简要回顾了美国监狱人口老龄化的原因。此后，通过多学科文献综述，阐明了支持年龄隔离监狱的四点理由：(a) 通过为老年囚犯提供集中医疗保健实现成本节约；(b) 根据1990年《美国残疾人法案》的要求，集中提供残疾服务，从而减少惩教系统的民事责任；(c) 提高老年囚犯的安全；(d) 通过为最有可能（部分）因年龄相关的犯罪停止而不再从事未来犯罪活动的群体增加治疗机会，促进改造。结论聚焦于在基于社会人口特征的监狱隔离历史背景下的年龄隔离。
