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HISTORY OF THE CONCEPT The First Annual Conference on Elderly Criminals too place in 1982 in Albany, New York . This, along with the dates of a number of investigations into the issues surrounding aging offenders, highlights the issue as one that has come to notice only recently.Chaneles p. 2 This is mainly a result of general views of criminologists that age has no impact on offending, and that offenders tail off as age increases. this issue is also compounded due to the vague definition of the term "old" in a quantitative state.Chaneles p. 3 Early investigations in 2007 ISSUES OF AN AGING PRISON POPULATION The US National Institute of Corrections identified a number of issues relating to an aging prison population structure, including both physical and mental health, death, nutritional problems, the social and emotional needs of elderly inmates, and the need to recognise differences between normal aging and aging accelerated by being in prison. Aging Offenders and the Criminal Justice System Maryland State Commission, retrieved June 22 2007 Health Health care is identified as a paramount concern,Wahidin p. 183 due to the fact that in many countries elderly inmates do not qualify for state funded healthcare, with the US National Institute of Corrections identifying that inmates over 60 cost three times more than those of a younger age to house in prison. Aging Offenders and the Criminal Justice System Maryland State Commission, retrieved June 22 2007 It was calculated in 2006 that prisoners over the age of 55 on average suffer from three chronic ailments for which continual medication is required.Wahidin p. 183 Such issues were highlighted in both Maryland, Iowa and Utah State corrections reports for 2001, 2004 and 2006 respectively. ''Iowa Department of Corrections Annual Performance Report FY 2004'' retrieved June 22 2007 The latter recorded an increase from 3.5% to 5.2% of the total prison population being classed as elderly offenders. A total of 13% was calculated for 2010 , with Utah also concluding that medical care would be the most costly problem of the aging prison structure.''Utah Department of Corrections retrieved June 22 2007 The Alberta Law Foundation Situational Report of 1995 also stated that: "aging is an ongoing process and is effected by cultural and environmental experiences that may influence coping, adaptation and behaviour. Incarceration tends to accelerate the aging process"Armstrong-Ester, D. & Armstrong-Ester, C. (1995). ''Crime and the elderly: The extent and type of elderly offending and its possible effect of the administration of justice'' Alberta Law Foundation Situational Report - 1995. Adjustment Surveys conducted of criminals over the age of 55 being imprisoned for the first time revealed higher stress rates and a greater difficulty to adjust. This is both due to the culture shock, and overcoming the difficulties of having led a criminal-free life for a longer period of time and thus finding it more difficult to come to terms with breaking the law.Aday p. 115 Physical weakness or mental fragility in relation to younger inmates, and the fact that offenders are cut off from their families can also have a great impact on aging offenders.Aday p. 115 Evolution of criminal tendencies In many cases, as the age of an offender increases the likelihood of re-offending decreases, as the elderly are less capable of coping with a criminal lifestyle and grow tired of being punished.Kastenbaum p. 103 However, as a criminal ages the type of crime can evolve, with crimes such as embezzlement, fraud, gambling and drunkenness either being unlimited by age or peaking when a criminal is of the age of 50 or above.Kastenbaum p. 103 NOTES REFERENCES
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