A Scoping Review of Geriatric Release and the Later Life Impacts for Incarcerated Older Adults

TL;DR

This paper reviews the challenges faced by older adults released from prison and highlights the need for better policies and support to help them reintegrate into society.

Contribution

The paper provides a scoping review of geriatric release programs and identifies critical gaps in understanding post-release outcomes for older adults.

Findings

Older adults face unique reentry barriers like chronic health issues and social isolation.

There is a significant lack of research on post-release outcomes for this population.

Systemic barriers and policy gaps hinder effective geriatric release programs.

Abstract

As the U.S. carceral system grapples with an aging prison population, policies such as compassionate release and geriatric parole are intended to provide pathways for older adults to transition out of incarceration. However, these mechanisms remain underutilized, restrictive, and fraught with systemic barriers. While these programs are designed to provide relief, little is known about the post-incarcerated impacts of reentry for the older adults that are granted this release. This scoping review seeks to address gaps in our understanding of geriatric release programs within the United States by examining both the broader challenges of reentry and the unique barriers that older adults face. Older adults navigating reentry face barriers common to the broader formerly incarcerated population, such as parole compliance, recidivism risk, transportation, and healthcare access. These challenges are heightened by aging-related issues like chronic health conditions, limited employment opportunities, and social isolation. Beyond the individual, these difficulties place additional strain on families and communities that are essential to reintegration. Findings highlight a critical gap in research on post-release outcomes for older adults and a need for stronger evaluation of geriatric release policies. As mass incarceration’s long-term consequences unfold, this paper calls for urgent policy reform, targeted reintegration support, and stronger collaborations between gerontology and criminal justice advocacy. Without meaningful intervention, the aging prison population will face worsening health and social disparities, exacerbating existing inequities and straining already limited resources.