THE increasing number of older people in Scotland’s jails brings problems that are not unknown beyond the prison walls. But the consequences for such prisoners can be more dire because the well-documented confusion in our modern society about which agency is responsible for what seems even more pronounced behind bars.

There are several reasons why the elderly population in prison is growing: harsher sentences; advances in the detection of historic crimes; and a “stacking” effect caused by prisoners ageing inside. Inside, there are often not the facilities that make life bearable for the infirm. Many prisons were designed on the assumption that the incarcerated population would be younger and fitter.

Older prisoners entering jail may previously have had their needs met in the community. Much of that stops when they enter prison where, as previously highlighted in our Grey Matters series, they can also feel isolated and develop conditions such as depression. So there are mental, as well as physical, problems for the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to deal with. And the service may justifiably feel that it is not equipped, either in training or resources, to tackle these.

A report to the Scottish Parliament’s health committee acknowledged this but also expressed concern at perceived deficiencies in the way the SPS budgeted for social care. Doubtless, the service is struggling to adapt to the changing demands on its hard-pressed staff. For its sake, and that of the prisoners, there is a pressing need for more clarity as to how care is provided in prisons and how they are to receive sufficient resources.

On a more positive note, the committee highlighted evidence that, in some prisons, younger prisoners were providing social care for their older counterparts. In England and Wales, some of these younger prisoners went on to gain college diplomas in health and social care. This seems an imaginative, partial solution at least. And, while there would obviously have to be safeguards for training and supervision, it is something the SPS should investigate further.