Retiring in a Prison Cell: The South African Sentenced Older Adult Male Offender

• Author: Karen Booyens,Stephan Geyer,Andries Masenge
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00328855231154799
• Published date: 01 March 2023
• Date: 01 March 2023
• Subject Matter: Articles

Retiring in a Prison Cell:

The South African

Sentenced Older Adult

Male Offender

Karen Booyens

1

, Stephan Geyer

1

,

and Andries Masenge

1

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to create a prof‌ile of the sentenced older

adult male offender incarcerated in South African prisons. The f‌indings of

this investigation are based on face-to-face surveys with 88 older adult

male inmates. In order to develop a comprehensive prof‌ile, the study

explored offenders’backgrounds, previous and current offenses, lifestyle pat-

terns, physical and mental health, institutional living conditions, release, rein-

tegration, and mortality in prison. These domains are discussed in detail, and

recommendations are offered for the treatment and care of this offender

group. The recommendations may be applicable to other developing coun-

tries in the Global South.

Keywords

older male adult offender, prof‌ile, sentenced inmate, South Africa

Introduction

Internationally, there is a steady rise in the older adult inmate population, also

known as the “greying”offender population (Augustyn et al., 2020).

Furthermore, older inmates are regarded as the fastest-growing prison

1

University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Corresponding Author:

Karen Booyens, Department of Social Work and Criminology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag

X20 Hatf‌ield, 0028, Pretoria, South Africa.

Email: karen.booyens@up.ac.za

Article

The Prison Journal

2023, Vol. 103(2) 239–257

© 2023 SAGE Publications

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/00328855231154799

journals.sagepub.com/home/tpj

cohort (Fitton et al., 2018; Stoliker & Galli, 2019; Stoliker & Varanese 2017;

Wylie et al., 2018). It is estimated that by the year 2030, more than one-third

of the global prison population will consist of inmates who are older than 50

years of age (Stoliker & Galli, 2019).

There are various reasons for the increase in the older inmate population of

which indeterminate and mandatory sentences are the most cited. Galli et al.

(2019) note that the practice of indeterminate sentencing in Switzerland led to

an increase in older adult inmates. In the United States (US), the 1993 “three

strikes and you’re out”legislation required offenders convicted of three

felony offenses to serve a mandatory life term without parole (Siegel, 2016;

Yorston & Taylor, 2006). Similarly, in South Africa, the so-called

minimum sentence legislation was introduced in terms of the Criminal Law

Amendment Act of 1997. Accordingly, inmates have to serve a mandatory

minimum sentence of imprisonment (25 years) for serious offenses (murder

and rape) before being considered for parole.

With the increase in aging incarcerees, it has become recognized that the

older inmate should be considered a disadvantaged and vulnerable group

(Galli et al., 2019) due to physical and mental health issues, the possibility

of victimization, the prison environment, and issues concerning release, rein-

tegration, and dying inside prison. The former is certainly the case in South

Africa where it is specif‌ied in the White Paper on Corrections in South

Africa (2005) that older inmates should be considered a special category of

offenders with specif‌ic needs. The Department of Correctional Services

(DCS) in South Africa should identify the needs of older offenders in terms

of recreational activities suitable for older persons, facilities catering to the

physical demands placed on older adults, and appropriate medical care.

However, the DCS does not provide any directive on how these issues

should be addressed. Further, despite their vulnerability, hardly any reference

is made to this specif‌ic offender group in the Annual Reports of either the

DCS or the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) who, in

South Africa, is the watchdog over the treatment of offenders and prison

conditions.

To date, no South African study has been undertaken to explore the

nature, extent, and age-specif‌ic needs of this offender group. The value

of this study for the DCS and similar developing countries in the Global

South is that it will shed light on the unique age-related concerns of

older adult offenders during and after incarceration. Based on the f‌indings

of this investigation, stakeholders may consider amending the assessment

tools relating to offender needs and risks. In addition, needs-based pro-

grams may be developed according to the identif‌ied specif‌ic needs of

this offender group.

240 The Prison Journal 103(2)