The average age has significantly increased in Norwegian prisons in recent years. According to the Norwegian Correctional Services, 7 percent of the inmates were over 50 years old in 2002, while the proportion rose to 29 percent in 2019. In 2021, Norway had the highest average age among inmates in the Nordic countries, with an average of 38 years. The Norwegian Correctional Services believes that this trend will continue, and knowledge about elderly inmates is therefore important. As part of the PriSUD project, the AgePris-project, will focus particularly on substance abuse and mental health within this population.

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A master's thesis on individuals who were 50 years or older at their first imprisonment, was written in 2023, based on data from the nPRIS cohort. The thesis focused on the offenses for which this group of first-time inmates was convicted, the extent of their multiple incarcerations during that period, their contact with specialized healthcare services, as well as any diagnoses related to substance abuse and mental health.