Veterans aging in place behind bars: a structured living program that works.

Area of Science:

• Geriatric medicine
• Criminology
• Psychology

Background:

• The number of older adult veterans in prison is increasing.
• Geriatric prisoners face unique psychological and physical challenges.
• Posttraumatic stress disorder and depression are prevalent among incarcerated veterans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the True Grit program for aging incarcerated veterans.
• To compare psychological and physical outcomes between older veterans and nonveterans in prison.
• To assess participant satisfaction with the True Grit program.

Main Methods:

• A structured living program, True Grit, was implemented for geriatric prisoners.
• Evaluation involved 111 inmates, including older adult veterans and nonveterans.
• Data collected on life satisfaction, physical functioning, psychological distress, and program satisfaction.

Main Results:

• Inmates reported high life satisfaction and physical functioning.
• Low levels of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, somatization) were observed.
• Extremely high satisfaction with the True Grit program was reported by participants.
• Moderate prison context stress was noted, but ameliorated by the program.

Conclusions:

• The True Grit program effectively supports the psychological, physical, and spiritual needs of aging incarcerated veterans.
• The program fosters adaptive coping and improves the aging-in-place experience for elder inmates.
• The supportive environment of True Grit helps mitigate prison stress and promotes well-being.