International Journal of Criminology and Sociology

The problems surrounding the imprisonment of elderly offenders are examined. The key legal and policy challenges concerning older prisoners covered are: early and compassionate release; segregation or integration; the meaning of imprisonment in old age and its legal implications; fixed versus tailored sentences; and if prison is the right place to confine older offenders. The authors conclude with a discussion of whether there is a need for “age specific” legal policy for older inmates.