Julio-Diciembre 2015

Vol. 5 No. 2

Julio-septiembre 2024

Vol. 14 No. 2

Lukáš Stárek/ La persona mayor como ser humano en la ejecución del encarcelamiento en las prisiones

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Interacción y Perspectiva Dep. Legal pp 201002Z43506

Revista de Trabajo Social ISSN 2244-808X

Vol. 14 N

Julio-septiembre

ARTÍCULO DE INVESTIGACIÓN

La persona mayor como ser humano en la ejecución del encarcelamiento en

las prisiones checas - sondeo exploratorio

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10909937

Lukáš Stárek*

Resumen

Con el envejecimiento de la sociedad se prevé un aumento de las personas mayores que

cometen delitos y de la ejecución de los procesos de encarcelamiento no sólo en la

República Checa. Basándonos en la evidencia de la literatura publicada y en sondeos

exploratorios realizados, destacamos la oportunidad y la necesidad de prestar más

atención a las personas mayores; hacemos un llamamiento a un cambio de actitud hacia

la población de edad avanzada y, principalmente, hacia las personas mayores en la

ejecución de la pena de prisión. El trabajo pretende arrojar luz teórica y a través de

notas de campo sobre aspectos concretos relacionados con este grupo de personas. Se

llevaron a cabo seis entrevistas y se revisaron archivos personales para aportar datos y

características interesantes sobre este grupo. Con respecto a la creciente población de

personas mayores en ejecución penitenciaria, existe una necesidad obvia de analizar

este grupo en mayor profundidad, no sólo a través de la lente de las ciencias sociales,

sino también proporcionando un apoyo y una atención más profundos. Además, el

proceso de envejecimiento en prisión exige una mayor necesidad de cualificación y

capacidad de los empleadores para proporcionar una atención adecuada. Además, existe

una importante necesidad de reorganizar la financiación.

Palabras clave: Envejecimiento, ejecución penitenciaria, envejecer, calidad de vida,

prisión.

Abstract

An older person as a human in the execution of imprisonment in Czech

prisons – exploratory probe

The eldering of society is expected to see growth in elderly people conducting crime and

in the execution of imprisonment processes not only in the Czech Republic. Based on

evidence from published literature and conducted exploratory probes, we highlight the

chance and need for more attention paid to older people; we call for a change of attitude

towards the eldering population and mainly towards older people in the execution of

imprisonment. The paper aims to shed light in theory and through field notes on specific

related towards this group of people. The six interviews were conducted, and personal

files were reviewed to bring interesting insights and characteristics about this group.

With regard to the growing population of older people in the execution of imprisonment,

there is an obvious need to analyze this group in more depth, not only through the lens

of social science but also by providing deeper support and care. Further, the eldering

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process in imprisonment demands a bigger need for employers' qualification and ability

to provide adequate care. Plus, there is a significant need to reorganize funding.

Keywords: Eldering, execution of imprisonment, growing old, life quality, prison

Recibido: 19/12/2023 Aceptado: 12/02/2024

* Ph.D., Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Institute of Education and Communication, Department of

Pedagogy. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6068-215X E-mail: starekl@ivp.czu.cz

1. Introduction

Expansion of the length of life is expected to bring up higher expectations related

to maintaining a good quality of life. This topic is and will be more relevant for societies

around the world as more older people are living up to older age. The expansion of

demographic changes in the 21st century provides Europe with more possibilities in

areas related to elderly people, not only in the process of imprisonment but also in older

people with diverse handicaps. These changes can be perceived as the provision of

adequate health and social care but also as a challenge. The current generation of older

people is healthier than the previous generations, but older people require more diverse

and specific health and social care. Let us now consider older people in the context of

Czech’s prison system – in the context of this paper, we discuss elderly people in the

execution of imprisonment.

Older people are the biggest group in our society, which has specifics that need

to be reflected in their attitude towards and care for them. Even though we can expect

that the ability to take care of themselves will be longer within this group with the next

generation of seniors, the next generation growing up to the elderly age will have a

significant influence on the whole society (Ondrusova, Krahulcova et al., 2020). The

statistical prognosis 2040 is that almost 25% of the Czech population will be older. This

will be caused by the eldering process of the baby boom generation from the 70s 20th

century (Ondrusova, Krahulcova et al., 2020).

The older people in the execution of imprisonment face similar issues as other

older people. However, they must face this issue in a more extreme environment, which

is not suitable for this. Society’s eldering is logically influencing these groups and

prisoners as well.

2. The number of elder people in the execution of imprisonment

The formal age line is 65 years and long-term inability to work, thus being

involved in employment. This is the definition of “long-term work unable”, where older

people of higher age are included. This is not an exclusive group for older people, but

we can meet older people in other groups in this group, not only older people. Even

though these groups exist, age is not defined (Vidoviciva, Wija, 2020).

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Without regard to numbers and statistical information, this population seems to grow

not only in the European context but also within a combination of many factors. Mainly,

it is the combination of demographic, socioeconomic and legal factors. Not only does the

‘silver tsunami’ affect us, but also the economic crisis, growing poverty, and inequality

(ACLU, 2012).

According to the Statistical Yearbook of Prison Service of the Czech Republic 2022

(2023), the age structure of defendants, with regards to higher age, follows:

Table 1

Age structure of defendants

male

female

total

under 50 years

153

167

under 55 years

100

under 60 let years

under 65 years

under 70 years

under 75 years

under 80 years

Source: Statistical Yearbook of Prison Service of the Czech Republic 2022

(2023)

Total number of defendants to 31st December 2022 was 1 438 (1 323 male and 115

female). In context of people over 50 years it was 230 defendant (210 male and 20

female).

According to Statistical yearbook of Prison service of Czech Republic 2022 (2023) the

age structure of sentenced, with regards to higher age, follows:

Table 2

Age structure of the sentenced

male

female

total

under 50 years

2 031

166

2 197

under 55 years

1 237

1 328

under 60 years

768

823

under 65 years

390

414

under 70 years

215

238

under 75 years

under 80 years

over 80 let

Source: Statistical Yearbook of Prison Service of the Czech Republic 2022

(2023)

Total number of sentenced to 31st December 2022 was 17 498 (16 012 male and 1 486

female). In context of people over 50 years it was 2 922 sentenced (2 719 male and

203 females.

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According to Statistical yearbook of Prison service of Czech Republic 2022 (2023)

the age structure of life sentenced with regards to higher age, follows:

Total number of lives sentenced to 31st December 2022 was 47 (44 male and 3 female)

In context of people over 50 years it was 26 lives sentenced (24 male and 2 female).

In a study conducted by Martinkova and Biedermanova (2019), they presented the

crimes their respondents had committed. Older people were more likely to commit less

serious crimes, such as stealing or obstruction of legal activities, which made up to half

of the crimes they committed. On the other hand, older people in our probe conducted

serious crimes as well, such as murder, or tried to murder someone (almost 13%). The

most alarming is the fact that those who conducted the serious crime have not been in

their entire life legally taken to court (offenders of four murders and one rape)

(Martinkova and Biedermanova, 2019).

3. The needs and specifics

The needs and issues related to older prisoners appear in diverse areas, mainly

health and social care. In this perspective, Snyder et al. (2019) speak about

biopsychological care needs where physical, social and psychological needs are related

and affect each other. In the background of biopsychological needs is also the lack of

specific and customized care for elderly imprisoned people.

The needs of this group can be observed from many ankles. For example, in

literature (ACLU, 2012; Branham, 2010; Human Rights Watch, 2012; Upton, 2014), the

questions focus on practical and material needs and issues such as health care (including

addiction issues), work and education. Significantly, they highlight the issue or relation

and social contacts. Other resources (Snyder et al., 2009) more significantly stress the

task of social care workers in the background of the structural needs of this group. This

is related to the issue of discrimination of minority groups in prison (Snyder et al., 2009).

This environment is more suitable for younger people (mostly male prisoners). However,

it is also about the stigma of ex-prisoners and the lack of possibilities to be part of

society. This includes thinking about ethical questions such as the "right of offenders for

organ transplantation or expensive treatment of cancer" (Branhman, 2010). Another

issue related to the legislation is sometimes outdated, and it leads to necessary long

sentences (ACLU, 2012).

Therefore, this opens discussion not only for social workers working in prisons

but also for reflection of senior workers and related management of the prison system.

Social work with people conducting crimes is happening on more levels according to their

sentence level. It keeps happening throughout the imprisonment and when there is an

alternative sentence. Hanzelova (2020) describes the prison environment in the context

of work with sentences, which sets higher demands on social workers in social and

psychological areas, crisis intervention, and medication. The basic requirement is

empathy and acceptance of the sentenced person as they are, the ability of individual

attitude. Plus, the ability to alter help and not follow the existing system.

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Here, we can support Danek's (2022) thought that there will be a strong need to

support cross-disciplinary knowledge and cooperation. The resorts of equality,

education, social support, and health all need to strengthen and begin to cooperate.

During team cooperation, it is crucial that we can understand, cooperate, and build

relationships with other team members. Every member of the team is a unique help for

the team. Thus, the cross-area team could be a significant help.

Diverse studies show that prisoners are, in general, less healthy and mobile than

their age group members. They are more often ill and have health problems. Prisoners

are more likely to have psychological issues than the general population. Snyder et al.

(2009) highlight the psychological and health issues. In their study, James and Glaze

(2006) mention the percentage, which is more than twice higher than in the general

population. According to their findings, the prisoners need to talk about crimes, issues,

fears and worries related to their relationships, depression and traumas. Half of older

prisoners in the UK have at least one psychological issue (ACLU, 2012). This includes

depression, addiction (alcohol and drug use), and psychological issues such as dementia,

schizophrenia, phobia … Psychological issues and mainly starting dementia are not

acknowledged by guards. One of the most needed attributes to survive in prison is

discipline and good manners, which is the only way to avoid disciplinary penalties

(Maschi, Kwak et al., 2012). There is a big chance that prison workers will interpret

psychological issues as issues with discipline, and often, it will be followed by penalties.

To give behavioural sanctions to a person with dementia is not a good idea as regards

their health condition.

Humblet and Decorte (2013), based on the literature review, present a list of

topics which can be situated on the needs of older prisoners:

 Prison infrastructure;

 Social and health care;

 Relationships with other prisoners;

 Relationships with prison's employees and workers;

 Loneliness and isolation;

 Daily activities and work;

 Prison regime;

 Return to society.

The following areas of issue that we present are not only related to this group.

Aging is a natural physiological process that involves a number of changes affecting the

organism. Changes in the physical field are reflected in education primarily by worsening

resistance to adverse and disruptive influences, loss of energy, by reducing sensory

capacity (Španteková, Smékalová, 2015).

In the process of growing old, we can acknowledge several changes that do not

apply to all older people. The most influential factor is health, one of the criteria defining

ageing. However, it does not mean these changes must be blindly accepted, and we

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cannot fight them. It is important to accept that tiredness is part of life. Similarly, the

changes in skin or changes in sense functions such as hearing or vision are normal. The

majority of these changes happen gradually. Lower sensitivity of vision, hearing, or

tiredness can be reflected in one’s behaviour and/or mood.

In many cases, changes occur in lower forms and can cause issues, but can we

do something about it? The issue can worsen, and ageing can become problematic. The

issues with diverse organs occur, cooperation between organs can become problematic,

and other serious illnesses can occur.

The common health issues include obesity. This physiological change is often

connected to lower administration of energy. If individuals keep consuming the same

amount of nutrition, they get fat. The question about enough movement is still

questioned about older prisoners. There is agreement that obesity is unhealthy for the

heart and veins (Malkova, Krch, 2001). For individuals with obesity, it is good to use

diverse reduction diets. It is crucial to acknowledge that diet does not mean hunger butit

focuses on health and nutritionally rich food.

For obesity, we can observe malnutrition or insufficient nutrition. A loss of taste

or teeth might cause this. Further, it is important to reflect on the worsened digestive

and mobility limitations or usage of medicaments, which can cause loss of feeling hungry.

Also, the digestive system is less able to absorb all nutrition. Therefore, the food regime

is important; eating less but more frequently is better. In food, it is also important to

remember the drinking regime.

We cannot forget the importance of movement, which positively influences the

body's development and the overall feeling of an individual. A good example of activities

for older people is walking or music-supported workouts. The negative side of growing

old is falls and injuries. These can cause issues while taking care of oneself. An individual

does not have enough strength and maybe cannot walk, but they might be able to stand

and support themselves with their hands. Unfortunately, pain is part of movement after

an injury.

Therefore, it is important to consider the change of mobility, which can causethe

prisoner to be unableto move. The inability to move causes a lot of issues. For example,

the obesity above causes bad blood circulation and digestive habits. During long-term

lying and sitting, decubitus can occur. To prevent this, it is good to use diverse pillows.

Worsening of mobility causes loss of movement, which is a strong interruption of one’s

life, not only prisoners. Surrounding – the environment should customize itself for one

to move around. One of these changes can be diverse exercises, which should be done

so individuals can do something for themselves.

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Regarding movement, there is a strong link with materials such as handles,

adjustable beds and good chairs, beds with correct high adjustments and other

important tools that can help with movement, regeneration, and everyday life.

Personal hygiene is one of the easiest factors to control. It includes mainly the

overall body care, nutrition, and other hygiene problems of eating the wrong food or

drinks. Also, the regime of rest is important. We cannot forget soul and sexual hygiene

to live harmonically and well (Kvapilik, Cerna, 1990).

Hygiene is a crucial part of one’s ability to care for oneself. Of course, hand

washing is part of everyday care due to the possibility of the appearance of diverse

diseases. Older people find it hard to change their attitudes and traditions, such as caring

for their face, hair, mouth and teeth. Nowadays, there is a big market for diverse textiles

and shoes, which makes it easier. We would like to mention the care after one’s teeth,

which is often a significant issue. Often, older people might have decayed teeth, or there

is an insufficient number of teeth. Significant influence on teeth and their quality has

medicaments which older people consume. Frequent medical check-ups should prevent

these issues.

Another issue is incontinence, which can confuse older individuals. They might

react like that as they think this issue is related to children. Therefore, this can cause

emotional distress and physical unhappiness as the time for hygiene prolongs. The help

is easy; it is the usage of materials against incontinence.

Ageing also negatively influences sense organs (vision, hearing, taste, smell, and

sensitivity) within the sense of lower enjoyment of things happening around us. Given a

stimulus, it needs a longer time to travel to the brain and to activate the nervous system.

Therefore, elderly people might be discouraging dons when they need to react more

promptly.

During ageing, the vision quality is lowered, especially for older people. Older

people’s eyes need more light to function properly. Some diverse situations and sights

signal issues with vision, such as wanting to touch something and missing it or not

managing daily tasks as well as they would like to. The usage of glasses can very often

manage lower vision.

Another organ that very often causes some issues is the ears. Similarly, as with

vision, it is good to regularly check up on hearing abilities. Lower hearing can be

displayed by loss of interest and by passivity. Further, the lower hearing abilities can

lead to loss of social contact as it becomes hard for an individual to follow the

conversation. To secure all needs within hearing, we use hearing aids. Teaching an

individual how to work with a hearing aid is crucial. The transition towards this aid is

hard for an individual they did not hear before, and now they hear too much, which can

lead towards a higher level of tiredness. Without regard to the ward hearing aid, it is

crucial to speak clearly. An individual might want to see the mouth clearly to read lips.

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Smell and taste are other senses that might get worse with age. The cause is

the degradation of these organs. We cannot accept that with loss of taste, one stops

eating.

We cannot forget to mention the lower quality of fine motor skills. Fine motor

skills can be lower due to rheumatic illness or Parkinson’s disease. Still, even without

this illness, it might be hard for older people to do activities involving fine motor skills.

For many people, these changes mean losing the ability to care for themselves. Thanks

to modern technologies and aids, we can replace some activities that require fine motor

skills.

Only a few prisons and cells are adjusted for the needs of older people, which can

cause more issues for older people in the execution of imprisonment. There might be

issues with stairs, which older people need to use, or long distances that need to walk

to get somewhere. Another example is bathrooms, where there might be missing

handles or no manipulating machines, which could help limit the risks of falls.

As Humblet and Decorte (2013) state, life in prison is physically more exhausting,

waking up while being called up, lying on the ground, and offers rather physical work …

Prison regime, timetable, activities, and cell control… are adjusted rather to younger

prisoners from a physical perspective. The pace seems to be crucial there. Dawes (2009)

questions how realistic it is for an older prisoner to get up and dressed for 15 minutes.

It seems that the literature supports (Dawes, 2009; Upton, 2014) the idea of separated

regimes for older prisoners and younger prisoners in the form of a quitter and safer

environment with better accessibility and secure care for older prisoners.

Humblet and Decorte (2013) highlight the thought of institutional consideration

in current prisons. Social workers, as workers of social systems, could be thinking and

trying to adapt to prison life for prisoners. But these influences are rather a water drop

in the sea.

Vidovicova, Wija (2020) raised the main areas of interest for social gerontology

and gerontology’s intervention, which include:

 Well-being and quality of life;

 Social relations, partnerships, and family;

 Multi-generation relationships in society and ageism;

 Financial security at higher age;

 Active ageing: employment, leisure time activities, volunteering;

 Physical environment: building, public sites, neighbourhood;

 Spiritual needs: meaning of life, usefulness (to feel needed and useful, to belong

somewhere);

 Issue of mental health such as dementia and overall mental health;

 Palliative care – care at the end of one’s life.

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Even though the main reasons for executive imprisonment are to protect society

from criminality and to connect protection and prevention in the case of older prisoners,

it is crucial to consider to what extent their bio-psycho-physical health is influenced by

these changes and how they will change during ageing.

During the execution of imprisonment, unfortunately, an individual is separated

from their family and social environment. For sentenced and dismissed, the

consequences are stigmatizing. The forgiven person will have to face the challenges of

the stigma, which might be more complicated than imprisonment. One of the most

influential factors of successful social integration is the functional family environment

(Juzl et al., 2016).

Concerning the armed group, it is also essential to mention the professional

aspect. Mainly the social workers who work in prisons. The work of these social workers

and other skilled workers in prisons deserves recognition and greater attention from

professionals and the general public. Care should also be given to the workers

themselves, not only in the context of professional development but also in the context

of professional therapeutic support and reflection on one’s needs and feelings. The

challenge is also the reflection of new trends and concepts in social work, where an

exemplary use is a multidisciplinary team of which a social worker should be a member

(Stárek, Víšek, 2022).

4. Foreign countries experiences

An exciting model originated in Switzerland – in prison Lenzburg, they have

created a separate department for prisoners for over 60 years to provide them with

needed care.

During the realization of this department in 2011, leaders decided that they would

accept only those over 60 years (called 60+) older and were physically or psychologically

unable to be settled in the ordinary department of the prison. Even though this

department is part of the prison, a certain level of cooperation from older prisoners is

expected. This cooperation includes a willingness to be part of the community.

One of the main aims of this department is to keep the cognitive, intellectual and

motor skills of older prisoners. Remaining in social contact is also another aim of a

structured daily regime to prevent feelings of loneliness. Therefore, a significant part of

the day is created for prisoners to be spent in standard rooms, recreational places or in

their employment.

Prisoners can arrange an appointment with their general doctors, psychists,

psychologists, priests, dentists or any other medical employer. This appointment is

afterwards allowed by a prison employee. The available doctor’s care includes regular

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check-ups, monitoring prisoners' health. The offer involves physiotherapy, movement

therapy, medical baths, and discussion groups. Based on their needs, prisoners can also

use multifunctional sports halls.

In the department “60+”, is the offer of employment limited to half of the day,

while the employment offers are adequate to age. Further, employment options are jobs

in an office, laundry, cleaning and gardening. Also, every community member must fulfil

their duties to the community.

The reflection on the ten years of existence of the department proves a very

positive effect. The issue derives mainly from situations when it is complicated to involve

prisoners in a daily regime of the community. Their everyday motivation for activities,

interaction or cooperation is connected to the reality that after they enter into the

community, which is often accompanied by euphoria, there is often stagnation or

decrease in motivation. It is not unusual for some prisoners to refuse to cooperate. This

only complicates the tasks of the prison’s employees. The job is to give prisoners some

sense of life even though their vision might be limited or their health conditions are not

so good. The successful development of this relationship significantly influences the

education of employees, which must be focused on working with older prisoners.

In department “60+”, they purposely open the topic of life ageing and its

acceptance, dying, acceptance of one's actions, change of life beliefs, or reflection on

one's life. This problem is not discussed only with representatives of the church, but it

can also be addressed with prison employees. It is always surprising how openly older

prisoners talk about dying. During this discus, many prisoners realize that they will

probably die in prison. Therefore, it is not surprising that people outside prisons ask

whether it is morally correct to let someone die in prison.

(Graben, Hotz, Holenstein, 2014)

5. Exploratory probe

We reflected the thought and idea of an ageing society. We investigated whether

the older prisoners had specialized care and how they were treated. Further, we

researched anamnestic and social factors about older prisoners to prove the importance

of cross-disciplinary cooperation to provide support, maintenance and help.

However, this probe type demands deeper thinking and sufficient time to provide

results. This topic needs to be reflected not only by researchers and participants but also

by broader society. We created a picture of these specific groups and their needs. Based

on this picture, we can define what type of care needs to be provided to this particular

group, not only by prisons and their employees.

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6. Preparation and process of interviews

The helping scenario for interviews uses a structure related to the topic derived

from general thematical circles. The case of interviews originated from the whole theme

of the exploratory probe. The discussion always discussed two main areas. The first area

was related to the analysis of the respondent’s documentation, which involved

information about the social status of the respondent. However, we could not analyze

the respondents’ medical documentation. The second area is the interview with the

respondent. It is important to mention we reflected on the ethics of research. The

interviewees participated voluntarily, and their wishes and concerns were reflected, for

example, by omitting some topics.

We realized that a structured interview might not provide an accurate picture of

the topic, so we prepared some thematical questions, which we followed and supported

with extra questions. Thus, the interview had the characteristics of a semi-structured

interview.

Overall, we conducted six semi-structured interviews. Respondents agreed to

participate in interviews and use the generated data. Similar statements apply to two

prisons, which agreed as well. It is crucial to mention that cooperation between

researchers and jails results from previous collaboration on different research projects.

A total of six semi-structured interviews were conducted. We used a Dictaphone to

record the entire interview. Each of the respondents was familiar with the use of this

technique, and no one objected to it. If any of the respondents disagreed with a

Dictaphone, an option was ready to record the respondents’ answers in writing during

the interview.

The meetings always took place without the presence of uninvolved third parties.

The creation of open contacts was initially induced by all respondents with general

questions about the topic. The aim was to gain trust. Creating a friendly atmosphere,

tactfulness, and showing reasonable interest in the respondent’s testimony helped to a

relaxed interview. The questions were formulated neutrally so as not to indicate the

expected answer. We strived to ask short questions, if possible, in straightforward

sentences. A strategic method was chosen, where the questions started with more

general problems/ranges of topics and then focused on particular issues.

The interviewer's task was to ensure that questions were asked in a standardized

fashion, with the same emphasis, during all interviews. The analysis of the respondents’

reactions, behavior and non-verbal expressions during the interview – body movements,

gestures, facial movements, smile, laughter, and gaze – was not overlooked. All six

interviews took place without any unexpected or awkward situations that could break

the trust between the respondent and the interviewer.

The average time allowance of each interview lasted about 90 minutes.

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7. Characteristics of respondents

The aimed group of respondents was not limited by ethnicity, gender, age,

religion, education, or sentence length. To be able to answer research questions, we

collected answers from specific groups of people. This group involves prisoners who are

currently in execution of imprisonment. About the aim of this research, age was the main

factor. The minimal age line was 65 years when they conducted their crime.

Table 3

List of respondents

8. Summary of the research probe

The focus group in this research included six older prisoners. In context, this

number of six prisoners is a probe rather than a general result. The age of respondents

had to be over 65 when conducting their crime for us to be able to include them in our

research. The bigger number of our participants comprised participants between 65 and

70 years old when committing their crime (in total, four respondents in our research).

One respondent was 73 years old, and the last respondent was 79 years old.

respond

ent

gen

der

age

education

attained

Marital

status

No. of

children

Sentenced

for

Receiver

of social

help

Health

issues

R no. 1

man

Vocational

certificate

married

Stealing

Yes

R no. 2

man

Vocational

certificate

divorced

Rape

Yes

R no. 3

wom

Primary

school

single

Threaten

under drug

substance

Yes

R no. 4

man

university –

masters’

degree

married

Blackmail,

stealing

Yes

R no. 5

man

A-levels

widower

Neglecting of

maintenance

obligation

Yes

R no. 6

man

Primary

school

married

obstructing

the

execution of

an official

decision

Yes

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Respondents – conductors of crime were sentenced for diverse crimes such as

stealing, blackmailing, neglecting of maintenance obligation, threatening under drug

substance, obstructing the execution of an official decision, and rape. Every respondent

was previously sentenced – the number of previous sentences was between 1 and 3 for

each respondent. Gender: There was a bigger number of males, as there were five male

respondents and only one female.

All respondents were Czech, and none of them was foreign. Further, if we consider

the marital status of respondents, two of them were divorced (2 males), two were

married (2 males), one was widower (male), and one was single (female), but she was

in long-term relationships with her partner.

We can compare it with other studies. For example, Mäsiarova (2019) presents

data from 2017 in her study. Half of the respondents were single, and with a big

difference, there were groups of divorced prisoners. The difference between the

presented probe and Mäsiarova’s (2017) study could be explained by the significant age

difference between respondents, as the older generation prefers to get married than the

younger generation.

In the context of family situation, all respondents have children, and their

number differs from 1 to 3. They are already adults. Family relationships were not the

topic of this probe, even though they provided exciting information. With regards to the

influence of imprisonment, it is crucial to mention a study conducted by Danek (2023),

who claims that parents’ imprisonment has a significant negative influence on children

in several aspects of their lives. He noticed influence mainly in children’s psychological

sphere and social competencies. It is important to reflect that our group of children and

young adults was influenced not only by the imprisonment of their parents but also by

the fact their housing is an institutional organization – a prison.

Achieved education is very diverse for our respondents. This information was

verified by the respondents and through the analysis of their documentation. Two

respondents have finished primary school; two had vocational certificates – one in selling

and one in plumbing; one obtained A-levels at an economic academy, and one completed

university with a master’s degree in pedagogy.

Further, it is essential to mention the financial situation of respondents. All of

them are receiving social help from the state for older people. Unfortunately, we have

not found out the amount of this social help. However, all respondents agreed that more

is needed for them and their families. Further, all the respondents agreed that they have

financial issues derived from loans that they could not pay back during their productive

age. Thus, they have financial issues which bind them. Two respondents stated they do

not have any material possessions due to their financial situation or due to the influence

of their family.

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Another exciting area which appeared during interviews was the health condition

of respondents. Except for one respondent, all of them have complained about their

physical or psychological issues, which sometimes overlapped. Some of the older

prisoners were addicted to alcohol, substances, or drugs. The respondents themselves

stated that the health issues are related to their age. Overall, the health issues included

movement problems, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, higher cholesterol, hypertension,

etc.

According to Zverinova (2022), older people (including people in excursion of

imprisonment) often experience chronic illnesses. The number of psychological issues is

also high. It is expected that 30% of elderly people struggle with their mental health.

9. Conclusion

With regard to the recent trend in the ageing population in the Czech population,

we can assume that in the near future, there will be significant growth in the number of

elderly people committing crimes. Thus, there will be a growth in the number of older

people in the excursion of imprisonment. This population will be burdened with personal,

health, and social issues for which society and the prison service of the Czech Republic

must prepare (Martinkova, Biedermanova, 2019).

The number of older prisoners is not big, but the majority of care providers in

prisons have noticed them. Sometimes, it is not viewed as a significant issue.

Diverse studies (Branham, 2010; Snyder, 2009) highlight that prisoners might look ten

years older than they are. The connection between health and physical appearance

cannot be forgotten, and this is also related to prisoners. Cognitive levels, recidivism

and years spent in prison are only a few risk factors which influence prisoners.

Compensation and the mechanism (physical mechanism) of support, help, and care can

help make prisoners more comfortable with ageing.

What do we need to pay attention to in prisons so that ageing is more comfortable

for older prisoners? The job market in prison is limited and primarily focused on physical

jobs. Job and daily activities are often the main motive of life in prison, not only for older

prisoners. Analysis of health care for this group and development of health care is

missing here. On top of our interest must be physical health issues. Any health limitation

cannot be omitted by prison employees, and mainly any mental decline and potential

signs of dementia. Hand in hand with psychological issues, there is also an issue with

loneliness. To successfully develop and prevent these issues, it is crucial to provide

quality education for employees. So, the employees will be aware of all potential issues

related to ageing.

According to Vidovicova and Wiji (2020), we can say that if an individual is locked

up in an environment without any positive attitude and any chance for contact with

positively tuned people, there is not any chance for them to change their attitude and

behavior. Therefore, we must overcome negativity with a positive attitude, behavior,

and mindset without judging previous life experiences.

Lukáš Stárek/ La persona mayor como ser humano en la ejecución del encarcelamiento en las prisiones

checas

463

Further, discussing other aspects of this life stage, such as palliative care or the

spiritual needs of prisoners and their relatives, is crucial. It is essential to focus more on

prisoners’ needs, which can change with ageing, but they do not need to be

acknowledged by them, their environment, and by the prison’s employees.

With regards to the expansion of this age group, it is vital to keep analyzing this

age group not only through the lenses of social care but also through the amount of care

and support they need.

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