A Prison Reform Trust report says that prisons are struggling to cope with the increase in elderly, sick and disabled people behind bars.
It reveals that those aged 60 and over are the fastest growing population in
English and Welsh prisons, with an increase of 146% between 2002 and 2014.
Those aged 50-59 are the second fastest-growing group.
Longer sentences mean more people are growing frail in prison, but high rates
of social and support needs are unmet, says the trust. It added that two in five prisoners over 50 now have a disability of some kind.
Trust director Juliet Lyon said: "In the last few years, prison has been reduced
to a punitive holding operation for people growing older and sicker behind bars. Prisons are less safe and less decent than they were even a year ago when we
published our last report."
The proportion of prisons whose performance is "of concern" or "of serious
concern" according to the National Offender Management Service has risen from
13% in 2012-13, to 23% in 2013-14.
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