A Profile Study of Elderly Offenders in the Community Criminal Courts of Singapore: Theorizing Geriatric Criminality

This research, using data from the Community Criminal Courts where a majority of elderly offenders are tried and sentenced, investigates the socio-economic profile of elderly offenders and the factors influencing their criminal motivation in Singapore. It revisits conceptualizations of offending in older age which until now has received scant attention even in Asian societies where ties to conventional institutions are thought to be “protective.” The majority of elderly offenders in this study were “revolving door prisoners” and were never in possession of any efficacious social capital that would have prevented them from committing a crime or enabled their re-entry process, a problem compounded by the study’s findings that almost 70% of the sampled offenders had experienced mental health issues. This would have spelled adverse consequences for their desistance and, conversely, their recidivist behavior, a finding that was consistent with many other studies that had examined the association between psychosis and crime.

Elderly offenders at Wathwood Hospital: perspectives and practicalities

AimsThe following project explores where Wathwood Hospital stands in provision of services to its elderly patients.BackgroundThe only dedicated forensic medium secure unit for elderly offenders in England is the St. Andrews medium secure unit in Northampton with only 17 beds. Due to the limited beds, other units must accommodate elderly patients, which raises the question whether these units can provide the appropriate services for this very vulnerable population.MethodInclusion Criteria:Male>55 years of ageAdmitted from 2012 onwards (from when database was maintained)Data were gathered using patient electronic records including index offence, mental disorder, physical health comorbidities and discharge destinations. Patient identifiable data were anonymized to protect their identities.A staff survey was also conducted to find their perspective on managing elderly patients and whether Wathwood Hospital had the appropriate resources for elderly offenders in their area of work.ResultA total of 220 referrals were searched with only 9 patients >55 years. Index offenses, mental disorder diagnoses, physical comorbidities including cognitive assessments in the form of memory tests and brain imaging were also collated for identified patients from electronic patient records.Index offences included violence against person, arson, homicide, robbery, threatening behaviour and dangerous driving and affray. Diagnoses included learning disability, delusional disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, alcohol dependence, personality disorder and depressive disorder.Patients had multiple comorbidities such as diabetes, COPD, hypertension, coronary artery disease and musculoskeletal problems. Out of the nine admitted patients, only six had an ACE with an average score of 70.83. Five patients had brain imaging, with two normal results and the others showing some degree of atrophy and ischemic changes.Discharge destinations included medium secure units, low secure unit and prison. One patient unfortunately died during admission and four are still inpatients.A staff survey conducted showed their perspective on the challenges in managing elderly patients and whether Wathwood Hospital had the appropriate resources for them to work with elderly offenders in their area of work. All results will be explained through tables and graphs.ConclusionIt's evident that there are challenges in managing elderly patients in units not specifically designed to manage them. This is also due to the lack of geriatric training and resources available to allied health care professionals to carry out their respective work. It's therefore crucial we formulate more inclusive strategies to address these challenges.

Consensus, Compassion, and Compromise? The First Step Act and Aging Out of Crime

The passage of the First Step (Act) represents an ambitious, bipartisan compromise to commence much-needed, genuine federal sentencing reform. However, as its name suggests, it is, in practice, simply one meager stride in what requires a marathon to affect true change. Its improvements fail to achieve the status of “groundbreaking.” This is particularly evident when considering its approach to reduction in sentence of elderly offenders. Since 2013, compassionate release has stood as the exclusive process available for worthy elderly offenders to request early release from prison. While the Act certainly expands access to compassionate release, it fails to do so generously. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) continues to craft and preserve implementation guidelines that render compassionate release policies ineffective. The Act also revives the Second Chance Act of 2007 by providing a vehicle for early release of certain classes of elderly offenders. While this reauthorization appears appealing, it, too, fails to realize its full potential. This is so because BOP has again apprehended the system by refusing to include good time credits in release eligibility calculations. While the Act is a product of deliberate compromise between lawmakers, consensus concerning its practical application is non-existent.