Probation and Ageing

Despite increased focus on the growing ageing population in prison, probation services sit betwixt and between gerontological research around ageing in communities and criminological research about ageing in custodial settings. This poses problems for probation practitioners, who mainly work with younger people. Probation practice tends to be predicated on criminogenic need risk assessment and intervention. However, these interventions do not tend to factor in age. This chapter outlines the history of probation’s focus on young people; identifies political, social, and demographic factors shaping the ageing probation caseloads; and develops a typology of older people on probation based on their needs. This includes physical and mental health, social care, accommodation, employment, finances, and relationships. The chapter identifies how gerontological approaches may support probation practice and considers ethical dilemmas relating to the conflation of ageing and disability, which may stifle innovative ways of working.