Mohammed T. Abou-Saleh

ELDERLY OFFENDERS 629although there has been a greater emphasis on diversion from thecriminal justice system in recent years. Cautioning is as common adisposal as conviction in England and Wales for all but the mostserious crimes in those aged 60+ 5 . In addition, many shops haveadopted policies of not reporting shoplifting in those of retirementage, preferring to ban persistent offenders from their premises. Inthe USA a number of schemes have been developed to deal withthe older offender, both pre-trial and after sentencing 17 .In the Essex cohort of 153 elderly offenders studied byNeedham-Bennett et al. 12 , 97 (65%) were cautioned and in 42(28%) there was no further action. The police, however, referredonly half of those later identified as psychiatric cases to welfareagencies, suggesting that closer links between the police andcommunity psychiatric teams for the elderly might facilitate theidentification of unmet mental health needs at an early stage.The elderly serving sentences comprise both those imprisonedfor the first time in old age and those who have grown old inprison. About 1% of the prison population in the UK is aged 60+and about 5% in the USA. The number of sentenced prisoners inthe UK aged 60+ has increased in recent years, from 333 in 1988to 1055 in 1998, although there has not been a similar increase inthe elderly remand population 1 . A case history-based study in theUSA of 25 new elderly offenders, most of whom were imprisonedfor sex offences or homicide 19 , drew attention to their initialreaction to imprisonment, often being characterized by familyconflict, depression, suicidal thoughts and a fear of dying inprison 19 . The physical health of older prisoners is also important,with about half of older prisoners having a long-standing illnessor disability 20 . The prison system makes scant provision forvulnerable groups and older prisoners may experience particulardifficulties in adjustment on release.REFERENCES1. Home Office. Research and Statistics Directorate, London, UK.2. Schichor D. Patterns of elderly law breaking in urban, suburban andrural areas: what do arrest statistics tell us? In Wilbanks W, Kein P,eds, Elderly Criminals. New York: University Press of America, 1984.3. Craissati J, McClurg G. The Challenge Project: perpetrators of childsexual abuse in south east London. Child Abuse Neglect 1996; 20(11):1067–77.4. Craissati J (personal communication).5. Markham GR. A community service for elderly offenders. Geriat Med1981; 11(2): 63–6.6. Kratcoski PC, Walker DB. Homicide among the elderly: analysis ofthe victim/assailant relationship. In McCarthy B, Langworthy RH,eds, Older Offenders. New York: Praeger, 1988.7. Hucker SJ, Ben Aron MH. Psychiatric aspects of crime in old age. InNewman ES, Newman DJ, Gewirtz ML, eds, Elderly Criminals.Cambridge, MA: Oelgeschlager, Gunn and Hain, 1984.8. Akers RL, La Greca AJ. Alcohol, contact with the legal system andillegal behaviour among the elderly. In McCarthy B, LangworthyRH, eds, Older Offenders. New York: Praeger, 1988.9. Taylor PJ, Parrott JM. Elderly offenders. A study of age-relatedfactors among custodially remanded prisoners. Br J Psychiat 1988;152: 340–6.10. East WN. Senescence and senility. J Ment Sci 1944; 90: 836–49.11. March GS, Zimmer B, Stein E. Clinical perspectives on elderly firstoffender shoplifters. Hosp Comm Psychiat 1988; 39: 648–51.12. Needham-Bennett H, Parrott J, MacDonald AJD. Psychiatricdisorder and policing the elderly offender. Crim Behav Ment Health1996; 6: 241–51.13. Copeland J, Dewey M, Griffiths-Jones H. Computerised psychiatricdiagnostic system and case nomenclature for elderly subjects. GMSand AGECAT. Psychol Med 1986; 16: 89–99.14. Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Issue 7/00, Mar 2000.15. Roth M. Cerebral and mental disorders of old age as causes ofantisocial behaviour. In de Reuck AUS, Porter R, eds, CIBAFoundation Symposium: The Mentally Abnormal Offender. London:Churchill, 1968.16. Knight B. Geriatric homicide—or the Darby and Joan syndrome.Geriat Med 1983; 13(4): 297–300.17. Petrie WM, Lawson EC, Hollender MH. Violence in geriatricpatients. J Am Med Assoc 1982; 284: 443–4.18. Mendez MF. Pathological stealing in dementia. J Am Geriat Soc1988; 36(9): 825–6.19. Aday R. Ageing in prison: a case study of new elderly offenders. Int JOffender Ther Comp Criminol 1994; 38(1): 80–91.20. Bridgwood A, Malbon G. Survey of the Physical Health of Prisoners1994. London: OPCS, HMSO, 1994.