NCJ Number
191621
Journal
Prison Review International Issue: 1 Dated: July 2001 Pages: 122-124
Date Published
July 2001
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses designing correctional facilities for elderly and other special needs inmates.
Abstract
Escalating inmate healthcare costs are an ongoing concern for the criminal justice industry, as is the increasing percentage of growth in older populations. Older inmates tend to be heavier consumers of prison healthcare services and the cost of medical services for that population is four to five times more expensive than services offered to the public. During the last decade, 18 States and the District of Columbia reported providing specific facilities for elderly inmates, including housing options such as segregated cells, skilled nursing, geriatric wings, and specialized medical services for the terminally ill. Topics that should be discussed to ensure an optimum design solution tailored to inmates' unique requirements include: (1) general inmate and special inmate housing; (2) a central control center; (3) secure intake/transfer/release areas; (4) a central laundry; (5) facilities for food, education, health services, and recreation; and (6) social services programs and religious services.