Older Prisoners’ Experiences of Death, Dying and Grief Behind Bars
| Author | AZRINI WAHIDIN,RONALD ADAY |
| Published date | 01 September 2016 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12172 |
| Date | 01 September 2016 |
The Howard Journal Vol55 No 3. September 2016 DOI: 10.1111/hojo.12172
ISSN 2059-1098, pp. 312–327
Older Prisoners’ Experiences of
Death, Dying and Grief Behind Bars
RONALD ADAY and AZRINI WAHIDIN
Ronald Aday is Professor of Sociology, Middle Tennessee State University,
USA; Azrini Wahidin is Professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice,
Nottingham Trent University
Abstract: Prison populations are experiencing rapid increases and many more offenders
are dying in prison. This article draws on research that was conducted by the authors in
the US and in England and Wales. The study interrogates the meanings older prisoners
give to the prospect of dying in prison. The themes identified during data analysis included
general thoughts about death and dying, accounts of other prisoners’ deaths, availability
of end-of-life services, contact with social relations, and wishes to die outside of
prison.
Keywords: older prisoners; death and dying; ageing behind bars
The discourse of ‘death’ has emerged as a key sociological issue and
has now established itself as a core concern across the social sciences
(Walter 1999; Weaver and Weidner 2006). There is a paucity of research
that addresses how prisoners cope with death, including their own fears
and anxieties associated with dying in a total institution: the prison. With
the rise in the number of long-term prisoners and the reluctance for policy
makers to utilise compassionate medical discharge, an increasing number
of offenders is at greater risk of dying in prison. Toaddress this void, the ar-
ticle presents a critical analysis of the literature on the fear and meaning of
death and dying in the context of prison, for offenders in later life, but also
how grief is experienced when individuals in their close inner circle die.
We examine relevant research which has identified common themes and
coping strategies for older prisoners as they encounter the death of others
or negotiate their own fears of dying. The article will draw on qualitative
and quantitative research studies from the USA and the UK to understand
how social supports, health disparities, religious beliefs, and prison rules
and regulations socially construct fears and perceptions of dying in prison.
We will argue that prison programmes should be expanded to accommo-
date the needs of older offenders and provide facilities which will ensure
that they have the opportunity to grieve and die with dignity.
312
C
2016 The Howard League and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK
The Howard Journal Vol55 No 3. September 2016
ISSN 2059-1098, pp. 312–327
Older Prison Population
The increase in an ageing prison population is a major concern for policy
makers in nearly every region of the world. On both sides of the Atlantic,
the ageing prison population poses formidable challenges for prison staff,
as older prisoners are now the fastest growing demographic group in the
UK and US prison systems. In England and Wales, people aged 50 years
and over currently make up 14% of the prison population. There are
11,720 people aged 50 years and over in prison in England and Wales
– 3,984 are aged 60 years and over (Department of Health 2014). People
aged 60 years and over and those aged 50–59 years are the first and second
fastest growing age groups in the prison population. Between 2002 and
2014, there was an increase of 146% and 122%, respectively,in the number
of prisoners held in those age groups (Prison Reform Trust 2015). Ever-
lengthening sentences mean that people in prison are growing old and
frail with high rates of unmet social care and support needs. Two in five
(37%) of those over the age of 50 years in prison have a disability.
In terms of the US context, the number of geriatric prisoners in many
state and federal prisons has risen steadily since the early 1990s. Recent
data released from the Bureau of Justice Statistics illustrate the continued
growth of the group of offenders aged 50 years and over, again more than
doubling over the past decade and reaching an all-time high of 271,000
prisoners in 2013 (Carson 2014). Adding to the growth of the older prison
population is the fact that one out of every nine individuals (159,520) in
prison is serving a life sentence, many without the possibility of parole
(Benzing 2014). Since 2009, there has also been a 22% rise in those serv-
ing a sentence of life without parole, bringing the total in this group of
permanent lifers to 49,081 (Nellis 2013). These prisoners are sentenced to
spend the remainder of their natural lives in prison and, like other older
inmates ‘ageing in place’, will be forced to die in prison (Johnson and
Mcgunigall-Smith 2008, p.328).
Mortality Behind Bars
Deaths in prison occur for a variety of reasons, including accidents,
suicides, homicides, natural causes, and in rare cases, executions. About
one-half of the prisons’ 3,519 deaths in England and Wales since 1990
were self-inflicted (see http://www.inquest.org.uk/statistics/deaths-inprison
(accessed 29 September 2015)). Recent figures from the Prisons and
Probation Ombudsman (2014), identified that between 2013 and 2014,
natural deaths in prison rose by 7% from the previous year, while figures
illustrate that 58% of individuals who died in prison were aged 60
years or over, emphasising the increased older prison population. The
majority of the 3,370 deaths in US prisons in 2012 can be attributed
to natural causes (American Correctional Association 2013). In the US,
an analysis of age-distributed mortality reveals significant growth in
the numbers of elderly people dying behind bars (Deaton, Aday and
Wahidin 2009). In 2001, 34% (971) of prisoners who died were aged
313
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2016 The Howard League and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
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