READER’S DIGESThope, but what eventually emerged
wasn't a strategy. They published the
‘Model for Operational Delivery’ and
it’s no more than a menu of options
for governors to choose from.”
Without this policy in place,
prisoners are missing out on
vital support. In some facilities
investigated by the Inspectorate of
Prisons in late 2018, older prisoners
who weren’t in specialist heath units
were forced to remain in their cells,
unable to shower regularly or safely
access the toilet. When sleeping on top
bunks, incontinent prisoners are often“post-code lottery” in determining
the dignity they’ll be afforded during
incarceration. In HMP Littlehey,
they might find refuge in one of the
prison’s wheelchair-adapted cells but
arrive at HMP Foston Hall and they
may be unable to attend education or
offending behaviour courses as they
take place on different floors, and no
provision is made to take them there.
“I've been talking about this for
years,” Mr Clarke explains. “The
Ministry of Justice said they were
going to develop a strategy for older
prisoners, so we were all living in
“THE PRISON SYSTEM IS SIMPLY NOT
CONFIGURED TO GIVE LONG-TERM
CARE TO ELDERLY PEOPLE”77