Stigma and reintegration: does age influence the perceptions of older people on parole?

As a consequence of the "graying prison population," the number of older people leaving prison and on parole has grown. Because older people on parole are a growing proportion of the paroled population, there is a greater need to understand their reentry experiences. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand what role age played in perceptions of stigma and reintegration. Surveys were conducted with people (n = 74) who left prison within a year to understand their perceptions of stigma and reintegration. Fisher's exact tests were conducted to determine the relationship between personal characteristics and perceptions of reintegration and stigma. Results indicated that age was only significant on one of several measures. Variables including sex, race, living situation and employment since release were consistently associated with perceptions of stigma or reintegration regardless of age. Implications for future research will be discussed.