Record share of older inmates are behind bars at Ranby Prison

A record share of older inmates are behind bars at Ranby Prison, figures reveal.
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Charity Age UK said the increasing number of older prisoners across England and Wales mirrors the country’s ageing population.

Figures from the Ministry of Justice show 21 inmates at HMP Ranby were aged 60 or over at the end of September – 2.2 per cent of the 972 total prisoners.

This was up from one per cent a year before, and the highest proportion for that time of year since records began in 2015.

A record share of older inmates are behind bars at Ranby Prison, figures reveal.A record share of older inmates are behind bars at Ranby Prison, figures reveal.
A record share of older inmates are behind bars at Ranby Prison, figures reveal.

Across England and Wales, almost 5,000 prisoners were aged 60 and over in September – 6.2 per cent of the 78,500 people in custody.

This was up from 5.9 per cent a year before and the largest share on record. Six years ago – when the statistics began – that figure was 4.6 per cent.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: "Our population is ageing and so inevitably this is being reflected in the numbers of older people living, and dying, in prison.

"It is important that prison staff are trained to understand the needs of older people and have access to resources and support so they can meet them."

The MoJ said the ageing prison population has been driven by recent increases in the number of prosecutions for historic sexual offences.

The Howard League for Penal Reform said older prisoners are most at risk from Covid-19, and that reversing the ageing prison population would save lives.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the charity, said: "Prisons have largely been forgotten during the pandemic, but the rising number of people who have died reveals the devastation that Covid-19 has brought to those living and working behind bars and their families.

"Tens of thousands of people have been held in overcrowded conditions or solitary confinement for months on end.

"It is almost impossible to fathom the mental distress that this will have caused.”

She called for the deaths of people in the criminal justice system to be included in the inquiry into the Government's handling of the pandemic.

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Separate MoJ figures show 396 deaths were recorded in custody across England and Wales in the year to September – the highest figure since records began in 2000 and double the number there were in 2013.

In Ranby Prison, one person died – down from two the previous year.

Since comparable records began in 2000, the prison has recorded 25 deaths.

Of the deaths in prisons nationally last year, the majority (281) were from natural causes.

The figures do not indicate which of the deaths were due to coronavirus, but the MoJ said there have been 159 Covid-related prisoner deaths nationally during the pandemic so far – and most have occurred since September 2020.

A MoJ spokesman added: “During the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic, our decisive action saved thousands of lives and limited transmission in a uniquely challenging environment.”