Trends in the Aging Prison Population of England and Wales

This chapter reviews the status of older adult offenders in England and Wales in order to contribute to a comparative perspective on the global phenomenon of aging prison populations and to consider future implications and trends. There are 118 prisons in England and Wales, all overseen by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), formerly the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). England and Wales currently hold more prisoners than any other Western European country, both in absolute numbers as well as in terms of proportion of the population (Council of Europe 2017) 1 . In October 2021, there were 78,756 prisoners held in England and Wales, or about 167 per 100,000 citizens (Sturge, 2021, 5). Adults over 50 accounted for roughly 17% of the total adult prison population, a 50% increase since 2011 (Sturge, 2021, 12). In recent years, the state of prisons in England and Wales has come under increased scrutiny for overcrowding, poorly maintained structures, violent incidents, and a rapid rise in incidents of self-harm and suicide (HCJC, 2019). The growing numbers of older adults are affected by all of these conditions without adequately resourced special provisions.