Abstract
Doing Harder Time? The Experiences of an Ageing Male Prison Population in England and Wales explores topics about a largely forgotten population, elderly men in prison. Because of new legislation that allows officials to arrest individuals for crimes committed years before, the population of elderly incarcerated men is increasing dramatically. Once incarcerated, prisoners are assigned to housing away from the mainstream population and, with morbidity rates typical of the elderly, these housing units have come to resemble nursing homes in many respects. No policies have been created to address this population or the issues arising from their confinement. Natalie Mann conducts qualitative interviews with elderly inmates in England and Wales to analyze these issues, explore these contexts, and tie findings into a theoretical framework. She uses active versus passive agents, habitus and cultural capital, and general-dispositional theories in order to frame her work. She focuses on sex offenders, as many in that population were convicted years after the event(s), and examines coping strategies, sources of support, and ideas of power and masculinity, as well as the prison regime at large.
The book addresses the lack of healthcare, the changing dynamics and treatment of sex offenders, and the psychological impacts of not being able to easily stay in contact with loved ones or maneuver around new ideas about gender, manners, and chivalry. The overall feeling is very hopeless in most of the cases. Many of the elderly men have merely accepted their fate and succumbed to a new power structure. However, the book helps build sympathy, curiosity, and a sense of morality.
This book would be a fine addition to courses that address social deviance, aging and the life course, or gender studies. It could also be useful in public policy, social work, or pre-law fields.