Media release: Caring for the ageing inmate population

13 October 2015

The Inspector of Custodial Services today released a report into the care and management of aged inmates in NSW correctional centres.

The Australia population is aging, and this is reflected in the correctional system, where there has been an 84 percent increase in the aged inmate population over the past decade. This growth is expected to continue.

The report notes that older inmates tend to have higher chronic and complex health needs than the younger population, and in some cases require additional assistance with daily living.

The Inspector said that the correctional system is under severe strain due to inmate population increases and budget constraints, and the increase in aged inmates presents significant additional demands on these limited resources.

“It is a reality that the number of aged, frail and chronically ill inmates, many of whom will die in prison, will continue to increase, and Corrective Services NSW needs to be in a position to provide the care that is required and respond to this challenge,” the Inspector said.

The Inspector of Custodial Services was established in October 2013 to provide independent oversight of the state’s correctional facilities, including Corrective Services NSW and Juvenile Justice NSW.