Latest jail figures from the Ministry of Justice show there are now 1,697 inmates in prison in England and Wales aged 70 or over, almost three times the number in this age bracket a decade ago. They now make up a record proportion of prison inmates – around one in every 50 – with the oldest prisoner serving time aged 105. Incredibly a total of 13 inmates are aged 90 or above.
In the past nine years the number of inmates in their 80s has risen from 50 to 295, while the number in their 70s has increased from 574 to 1,389.
By comparison, in 2010, the over-70s prison population was 629.
The surge in numbers comes as more people who committed crimes decades ago are now being brought to justice.
Much of the rise is said to be down to the so-called Jimmy Savile effect, where victims are now more willing to come forward to speak about abuse they suffered many years ago.
Celebrities, religious figures and schoolteachers are among those now being held to account.
Police forces are pumping more resources into these types of investigations to ensure people are brought to justice, even if the crimes were committed 20, 30 or 40 years ago.
In April, 2017, Ralph Clarke, then aged 101, who is believed to be the oldest person convicted in British legal history, failed in an appeal against a 13-year term imposed on him for a string of sex offences against children committed in the 1970s and 1980s.
He had unsuccessfully claimed he was “too old for jail”.
Celebrities aged over 70, who have been jailed in recent years for sexual offences include Rolf Harris (89), Gary Glitter (75) and Stuart Hall (90).
PR guru Max Clifford, aged 74, died in December 2017 while serving a prison sentence for historic sex offences. The ageing prison population causes extra problems for authorities who have to cope with often quite complex medical problems. Occasionally fellow prisoners are tasked with acting as unofficial carers to help with a cell mate’s health needs.
Separate figures from the Crown Prosecution Service show there was a total of 3,433 cases brought against people aged 70 or over last year, including 509 relating to sexual crimes.
Last year also saw 38 defendants, aged 70 or over, brought to court to face murder or manslaughter charges, 26 faced drugs charges and 220 were accused of public order offences.
A spokesman for the MoJ said: “An ageing prison population poses particular challenges, which is why we work closely with local councils and healthcare providers to make sure we meet the needs of elderly prisoners.
“It is vital that we deal with older prisoners in the most secure and appropriate way so the guidance we have in place for the management of these offenders takes into account the specific challenges they present.”
They added: “In response to these changes, the Government is reviewing the provision for older prisoners and how best to meet their needs.”
