COVID-19 as “a second prison.” The experiences of older offenders

Abstract

Offenders aged 50 and older represent a growing population among the incarcerated. Around 80 % of them struggle with difficulties related to their physical and mental health, as well as their social well-being. These difficulties heavily impacts their social and community reintegration process. The pandemic has given rise to additional and greater challenges. This interpretive descriptive qualitative study aims to comprehend older offenders’ experiences related to their incarceration at the time of COVID-19, as well as its perceived influence on their social and community reintegration. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 participants ranging from 50 to 73 years of age. A thematic analysis was conducted to further understand the aspects modulated by COVID-19 during each key period of the social and community reintegration process, namely, while they were incarcerated and while they were released into the community. The pandemic influenced the social and community reintegration process, and had a larger impact on offenders at the beginning of the pandemic, as compared to a year later. Results highlight the lack of consistency between health measures and social and community reintegration objectives.