Dementia care pathways in prisons - a comprehensive scoping review

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Criminology
• Public Health

Background:

• The aging prison population is increasing, leading to a rise in incarcerated individuals with dementia.
• This demographic shift poses substantial challenges for prison systems regarding care and management.
• Effective support for prisoners with dementia requires addressing complex health and social care needs within the carceral environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing literature on the care and supervision of prisoners with dementia.
• To examine best practices and recommendations for dementia care within correctional facilities and during community transitions.
• To inform the development of comprehensive dementia care pathways for incarcerated populations.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review methodology was employed.
• Reporting adhered to the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews guidelines.
• The review synthesized findings from 67 relevant published papers.

Main Results:

• The majority of reviewed literature originated from high-income countries, notably the United Kingdom (34 papers), United States (15 papers), and Australia (12 papers).
• Difficulties in dementia care were identified across all stages of the prison journey, from reception to release and resettlement.
• Key barriers included a lack of resources and consistent national/regional policies.

Conclusions:

• The literature highlights significant challenges in providing adequate dementia care within prisons, impacting health and social support.
• Developing locally tailored policies and fostering collaboration with the voluntary sector emerged as potential solutions.
• This review provides a comprehensive overview, identifying critical areas for future research and intervention development to improve dementia care pathways in correctional settings.