Developing a training program on issues in aging for correctional workers

Older adults who are incarcerated and living in prisons represent an increasing, yet invisible, group among the aging population. Two factors in particular have contributed to this growth: the aging of the general population and the escalating number of prisoners serving long sentences. Working effectively with older inmates poses a challenge for correctional workers who are accustomed to dealing with a much younger clientele. In many states, correctional employees are required to obtain annual training, and educational institutions can play a major role in providing the expertise necessary in the development of quality training materials on issues related to aging. While continuing education programs to address the needs of workers in community-based and long-term care settings have grown rapidly, they have made negligible progress in more obscure settings such as prisons. This paper discusses the development of a 6-hour training program entitled "Issues in Aging for Correctional Workers." The training was developed through the interdisciplinary collaborative efforts of two faculty members who teach in the criminal justice and sociology/social work departments at a medium-sized liberal arts university in the upper Midwest.