Ombudsman repeats calls for better care of older prisoners

“An important test of the humanity of a prison system is the way it manages the most vulnerable”, said the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Nigel Newcomen CBE, yesterday at a meeting of the parliamentary All Party Penal Affairs Group.

“There are few groups more vulnerable than the terminally ill. As these are mostly older prisoners, I believe there are important lessons to be learned about the care of older prisoners from my investigations.”

The Ombudsman went on to illustrate the growing challenges presented by a changing prison population. The number of older prisoners is growing rapidly – growth driven by longer sentences and more late in life prosecutions for historic sex offences. As a result, there are now more than 12,000 prisoners over 50, more than 4000 over 60 and some much older still – and the projections are all upwards.

Mr Newcomen repeated his recent calls for better all-round care for elderly prisoners:

•  Improved health and social care for infirm prisoners;
•  Accommodation and regimes to fit the requirements of the retired and immobile;
•  Better palliative care for those not allowed to die in the community;
•  Better training and support for staff – and prisoner supporters – who must now routinely deal with end of life issues.

Read the Ombudsman’s full address to APPAG here.

The full meeting minutes, including members’ questions and answers, are also available here.