'Nursing home' prisons demand

The prison population is growing

The government may have to consider building "nursing home prisons" for elderly inmates, a Prison Reform Trust study has said.

The report says the Prison Service is failing to provide adequate healthcare for prisoners over 60 years of age, the fastest growing age group in Britain's jails.

There are more than 1,200 prisoners over the age of 60 in England and Wales, three times what it was a decade ago.

Most prisoners over 60 years old are serving long sentences for violent or sexual crimes and some will die in jail.

The sharp rise in numbers has left the Prison Service struggling to deal with the health problems of elderly inmates.

US model

The Prison Reform Trust report says jails are not geared up to treat the illnesses that develop in later life.

It says the Prison Service may have to consider building the kind of "nursing home prisons" that already exist in America.

These are specially designed to care for elderly inmates and to cope with their unique health needs.

Prison numbers are rising across the board as the government moves to address public concern about lenient sentences for serious and sexual offences.

Home Secretary David Blunkett has created more prison places and attempted to lower numbers by extending the tagging scheme for less serious offenders but overcrowding is a growing issue.