Hagos Amanuel Kidane, Withall Adrienne, Ginnivan Natasha Ann, Snoyman Phillip, Butler Tony
School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Ageing Futures Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Int J Prison Health. 2022 Jun 2;18(2):124-137. doi: 10.1108/IJPH-08-2021-0088.
When properly designed and implemented, prison-to-community transition programs targeting older prisoners could potentially save resources, reduce reoffending rates and contribute to improved public protection and safety. However, older prisoners transitioning to community are often neglected and overlooked, and thus, interventions targeted to address their needs are limited. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers and enablers to health and social services for older prisoners transitioning to community.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A qualitative study was conducted using focus group discussions with corrections officers, community corrections officers and parole officers ( = 32) in four correctional centres, two community corrections offices (CCOs) and one parole unit in New South Wales (NSW) in 2019. The authors used thematic analysis to analyse the findings.
The study identified three main themes relating to barriers and enablers: organisational, social and economic and individual and family and seven sub-themes: planning the transition, communication, assisting prisoners, transition programs, officers' knowledge and scope of work, social and economic issues and offenders' conditions.
RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The processes required to ensure effective prison-to-community transition of older prisoners are not well-developed suggesting the need for more systemic and organised mechanisms. Implications of the barriers and enablers for policy, research and practice are discussed.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study identified a composite of barriers and enablers to health and social services for older prisoners in NSW prisons and CCOs.
如果设计和实施得当，针对老年囚犯的从监狱到社区的过渡项目有可能节省资源、降低再犯罪率，并有助于加强公共保护和安全。然而，向社区过渡的老年囚犯往往被忽视和冷落，因此，针对满足他们需求的干预措施有限。本研究的目的是确定向社区过渡的老年囚犯在获得健康和社会服务方面的障碍与促进因素。
设计/方法/途径：2019年，在新南威尔士州的四个惩教中心、两个社区矫正办公室（CCO）和一个假释单位，与惩教官、社区矫正官和假释官（n = 32）进行焦点小组讨论，开展了一项定性研究。作者采用主题分析法对研究结果进行分析。
该研究确定了与障碍和促进因素相关的三个主要主题：组织方面、社会和经济方面以及个人和家庭方面，以及七个子主题：规划过渡、沟通、协助囚犯、过渡项目、工作人员的知识和工作范围、社会和经济问题以及罪犯状况。
研究局限性/启示：确保老年囚犯从监狱到社区顺利过渡所需的流程尚未充分发展，这表明需要更系统、更有组织的机制。讨论了这些障碍和促进因素对政策、研究和实践的启示。
原创性/价值：本研究确定了新南威尔士州监狱和社区矫正办公室中，老年囚犯在获得健康和社会服务方面的一系列障碍和促进因素。
