ABSTRACT
Older people are ageing and dying in a myriad of places, including secure environments such as prisons and psychiatric hospitals. Compared to other places, the experiences of older people ageing in secure environments receive little scholarly attention. This chapter will discuss who is considered ‘old’ in a criminal justice environment, which already points to the importance of context in shaping ageing experiences, as the chronological age used (50) is much lower compared to people ageing in the community (typically 65). This chapter distinguishes between ageing experiences in prison and ageing experiences in secure psychiatric hospitals. While there is an overlap in those experiences (and some older people move between prison and secure psychiatric hospitals) it is important to understand that older people are present in both these environments. As more and more people are ageing in secure environments, it is increasingly essential to research the experiences of those who are growing older behind locked doors.
