Prison Experiences and Psychological Distress among Older Inmates

This study investigates relationships between older prisoners' social experiences and their levels of distress. One hundred and seventy-three older prisoners (aged >= 50 years) from 8 Australian prisons were administered the Kessler Psychological Distress (K10) Scale, with additional information collected via individual interviews. Psychological distress scores were significantly associated with measures of self-reported safety (p <.001), prison victimization (p <.05), perceived social support from staff (p <.01) and inmates (p <.001), current employment (p <.05), and level of exercise (p <.001) among older inmates. Findings suggest that strategies for improving sense of safety, social support and level of exercise may ameliorate distress among older prisoners.