Abstract:

The elderly prisoners face many problems in the prison since they find themselves in two different disadvantageous situations at the same time: one being of old age, and the other one being convicted. This study aims to reveal the difficulties experienced by the elderly ex-prisoner men while they were in prison and to examine their experiences and social integration practices after being released. In this context, the qualitative research method and phenomenological design have been used. The data have been collected through in-depth interviews and observations with 50-year-old or older 8 ex-prisoner men, and have been and analyzed with the descriptive analysis method. In the research, it has been concluded that elderly prisoners face physical, psychological, social and health problems and the physical conditions of the prison are not suitable for them, and that there are inadequacies in meeting the health needs and medical care of the elderly. In addition, it has been observed that elderly ex-prisoners need an adaptation period of 6 months to 2 years to adapt to their new life after their release, and that when they do not have the chance to get this time of adaptation, their expectations conflict with the ones of their family members and disconnections occur in family relations, and as individuals, they have difficulties in getting involved in the business life. In addition to all these, it has also been determined that they have difficulties in adapting to social, technological and relational changes. As a result, it is thought that it is necessary to gain professional awareness concerning the elderly prisoners, to reorganize the physical conditions of the prison, and to provide social support to elderly ex-prisoners after they get released.

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