Adapting to Life in Prison: From The Voices Of Older Female Prisoners.

The population of older prisoners in U.S. prisons has burgeoned including a rapid increase in older females. This paper is based on a larger research study focusing on the experiences of women who are over fifty and in prison in the southern states of America. For the purpose of this paper, we will focus on data from Tennessee Penitentiary for Women and Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women (KCIW). To gain an understanding of the plight of older incarcerated females, 28 women who were 50 years of age or older living in the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women (KCIW) and 6 from Tennessee Penitentiary for Women were recruited for this study. Descriptive demographic data as well as qualitative data were collected utilizing face-to-face in-depth interviews and focus groups. Data collected and organized from the interviews revealed several key issues related to prison adjustment: loss of health, freedom, and privacy, relationships with family, friends, other inmates, and prison staff, end of life issues, and strategies for coping with prison life. The personal pains associated with prison life were obvious among this group of older females. The long-term separation from loved ones, health problems and dissatisfaction with health care, and trepidation regarding their futures was a common message voiced by this sample. Despite the challenges of making a life in this prison environment, the women tended to maintain positive outlooks and optimism for their futures. Implications for prison policy as well as arguments for alternatives to incarceration are explored. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]