Young people and the elderly in prison
Both the very youngest and the very oldest inmates in prison have different needs and challenges than other inmates. For the young people, their needs are based on ongoing physical, cognitive and social development while for the older inmates it is often focused on an increased need for health services.
For the young (15-25 years) incarcerated, their needs focus on physical, cognitive and social development and ongoing education. They need access to schooling and stimuli that give them the same opportunities for development as young people outside prison. We also know that young people who serve time in prison have in many cases had a difficult upbringing, experienced psychological trauma or endured physical injuries. PriSUD has established a separate research group, YoungPris, to gain more longitudinal knowledge about young people in prison in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
Additionally, there is an increasing proportion of older people (over 50 years) in prison. With increasing age, the need for health services also increases. It is important to gain knowledge about who this group of inmates is, what health services they need and what other needs may separate them from the rest of the prison population. With data from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, PriSUD will help to shed light on these issues.