The Elderly Offender: An Exploratory Study With Implications For Continuing Education Of Law Enforcement Personnel.

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the elderly offender phenomenon and to determine how the criminal justice system was responding to it. Two major hypotheses were developed: first, it was theorized that the elderly offenders would be treated more leniently than younger aged offenders; second, it was hypothesized that detention facilities were geared primarily for younger offenders and little emphasis was placed on the special problems associated with incarcerating the elderly. The first hypothesis was tested by using case dismissal rates, conviction rates, and sentencing outcomes as indicators of leniency. Using Detroit Police Department arrest and disposition data, arrest outcomes for three different age groups were compared. The data for testing the second hypothesis were obtained through open-ended interviews with five detention facility administrators within Michigan. The study's findings revealed that among the sample population 53.1% of all those arrested for felony offenses had their charges dismissed prior to the initiation of formal prosecution. The analysis of conviction rates for the sample population arrested for drunken driving, aggravated assault, and larceny revealed that once the decision had been made to prosecute the elderly offenders, they were convicted and sentenced to jail more often than younger offenders. Increased numbers of elderly criminals will have a significant effect on the cost of operating detention facilities. The study reveals that the elderly are model prisoners. However, their generally poor health status equates to higher medical costs and necessitates increased supervisory time. The findings contained in this study have clear implications for the fields of police training and education. Crimes perpetrated by elderly persons have increased substantially in recent years. Economic hardship coupled with increased life expectancy may be major contributors to elderly crime. Police training focusing on only juveniles and adults may be too narrow in scope. Practices regarding incarceration and support needs of the elderly reveal new needs for policy change and for review of health and age criteria. Implications for community practice, social policy, and education for various levels of the criminal justice system as well as areas needing further research are presented.