This article was originally published in Mule Creek Post out of Mule Creek State Prison in California. It won second place for Best Long-Form Magazine Story in the 2025 American Penal Press Contest.
Elder Abuse in society is often confirmed by overt acts like neglect, physical and psychological harm, and frequently perpetrated by family members and caregivers. In prison, acts of elder mistreatment are more often committed by fellow prisoners with no vested interest in the victim. Cell and dormitory living ensures a regular in- and out-flow of strangers creating a dangerous, fraternity-like atmosphere of complacency and regular bullying. In the violent gang and class-conscious climate of higher security level prisons, the elderly and incapacitated have little status on the yard. The calmer environment at lower custody levels and medical facilities seem to ease the abuse and some compassion exists; self-help groups like anger management and Guiding Rage Into Power appear successful in these settings. Incarcerated people classified as ADA (falling under the Americans with Disabilities Act) are frequently elderly; for the purposes of this article, ADA-designated individuals will be included in this discussion.
While elder abuse is, unfortunately, also perpetrated by corrections and medical staff, these articles are only concerned with incarcerated-on-incarcerated abuse, both intentional and the general oversights noted below. Elder abuse in prison settings has many configurations: financial exploitation; intentional or unintentional neglect; physical, emotional, psychological, and even sexual exploitation. Such abuse, even the commonplace, falls into the same categories as in general society, but the mistreatment is more often perpetrated by aggressive fellow prisoners rather than family members or caregivers. Juvenile-like antics are common and frustratingly cruel to the elderly:
- General Oversights and Omissions/Verbal Abuse: Posting flyers and announcements too high on bulletin boards affects communication for the wheelchair-bound who cannot stand up to read these messages; as is leaving doors open or otherwise blocking frequently traveled passageways used by elders requiring canes, walkers, and wheelchairs, which is stressful to the impaired. Referring to the elderly as “old man,” “Gramps,” or “geezer” shows disrespect and oppression.
- Physical Abuse: Direct, hands-on striking, pushing, and shoving. This includes juvenile horseplay like reaching around others in a waiting line and tapping an elderly person on the shoulder, then hiding behind others, perplexing and angering the elderly or disabled victim — a frequent, subtle form of bullying.
- Financial Exploitation: Outright theft — forced or coerced — of canteen and quarterly package purchases, and extortion by threatened exposure of case factors.
- Misappropriation: Counterfeit symptoms used by the able-bodied to obtain ADA and restricted designations (and vests) to avoid work obligations and education assignments. These costly ruses demean the elderly and disabled while abusing medical staff and medical supply resources.
As we all age, declining mental cognition and medical issues contribute to an inability to process regular prison programming issues. The elderly forget medical appointments, class and group schedules, and even meal release times, leading to problems directly affecting others. Younger individuals, especially cellmates, exposed to the elderly and ADA-designated are frequently forced to become involuntary caregivers. Few are equipped to handle the sometimes distressing needs of the aging.
Unknown to most people, the actual cause of distressing traits of the elderly can be attributed to a partial or total loss of the sense of smell, often as a result of COVID-19. Many perceive uncleanliness in the elderly as laziness, or even overt defiance, and dramatize interactions accordingly, leading to verbal abuse, harassment, and altercations. Missing scheduled events like clothing and sheet exchange create serious issues, leading to elder abuse. These complications become a health issue to their cellmates and staff, as well as to others around them in the dining hall, library, and classrooms. Offensive behavior and odors frequently have the simplest of explanations. Prison elder abuse is often caused by a lack of empathy with the varied disorders of many aged.
Next month we will look more closely at the frequency and effects of prison elder abuse.
