Old and Ornery: The Disciplinary Experiences of Elderly Prisoners

As a group, elderly prisoners are regarded as less troublesome and generally well-behaved. Consequently, those with adjustment problems and disciplinary actions tend to be overlooked and are virtually nonexistent in the literature. This study examined elderly prisoners in a southwestern United States institution, and compared their disciplinary histories. Since disciplined inmates represented approximately 40 percent of the elderly population, unanticipated conflict could result if special facilities and programs are designed with stereotypical images of the elderly in mind. Using variables such as physical health, relative age, previous incarcerations, and mental health problems, as few significant differences were found and prediction of elderly inmates with disciplinary histories remained problematic.