Aging for Incarcerated Women: Understanding the Issues they Face
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Faculty Mentor
Rie Kobayashi, Ph.D., LMSW
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Social Work
Abstract
The intersection of aging and incarceration presents distinct complexities that influence the trajectory of the aging process. This presentation will address women in particular to understand how gender adds another layer of complexity to an already rigid system and the aging process. The prison environment operates under a distinct set of rules and procedures that shape their daily life which is vastly different than aging in society. It has been noted that incarcerated individuals age at a quicker rate, and the subpopulation of incarcerated older adults has increased over the years. Through a literature review along with learning from the 2025 American Society on Aging Conference, this presentation explores issues that women face behind bars while aging. Issues include increasing physical and mental health needs, inconsistent access to healthcare, and the broader impacts of incarceration on their well-being. Recommendations and policy implications for addressing challenges associated with women aging while incarcerated are introduced within this presentation.
Recommended Citation
Perrin, Kaitlin, "Aging for Incarcerated Women: Understanding the Issues they Face" (2025). 2025 Symposium. 2.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2025/asy_2024/asy_2025/2
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Aging for Incarcerated Women: Understanding the Issues they Face
The intersection of aging and incarceration presents distinct complexities that influence the trajectory of the aging process. This presentation will address women in particular to understand how gender adds another layer of complexity to an already rigid system and the aging process. The prison environment operates under a distinct set of rules and procedures that shape their daily life which is vastly different than aging in society. It has been noted that incarcerated individuals age at a quicker rate, and the subpopulation of incarcerated older adults has increased over the years. Through a literature review along with learning from the 2025 American Society on Aging Conference, this presentation explores issues that women face behind bars while aging. Issues include increasing physical and mental health needs, inconsistent access to healthcare, and the broader impacts of incarceration on their well-being. Recommendations and policy implications for addressing challenges associated with women aging while incarcerated are introduced within this presentation.
