Ageing in prison: an explorative study on detention experiences of elderly detainees in Belgium
Dealing with an elderly prison population creates new challenges for prison systems. This is particularly true for Belgium, where empirical studies focusing on the older prisoners are almost non-existent. The particular needs of older prisoners, and the specific problems related to their imprisonment are underexposed. There is a need for empirically and theoretically grounded scientific knowledge about older persons in detention. We set up an exploratory qualitative study to gather insight in the way in which elderly prisoners experience their detention and how the penitentiary system is dealing with this specific population. Data were collected through repeated correspondence by letters with 57 detainees with an age of 65 or older, in 14 prisons in Flanders. After a brief explanation of the methodology, we discuss the main results. We conclude this article with possible implications of these findings for the Belgian penitentiary policy on elderly persons in prisons.