7.5: Barriers to Success
Some of the challenges in serving the prison population are the same that affect the Area Agencies on Aging's (AAA) ability to serve the broader aging community. Lack of funding and staff resources are pervasive challenges for AAAs, no matter the population served. As the aging population has continued to grow, 75 percent of AAA budgets have remained flat or decreased over the last two years. AAAs find it difficult to expand programming to address the needs of new populations while existing programs, such as nutrition, transportation, case management and caregiver programs, are already stretched to the limit. For AAAs serving the older prisoner population, there is often more demand than they can handle, resulting in a need to triage their efforts and develop partnerships when possible.
AAAs would benefit from having efficient and effective tools to track aging prisoner program information to demonstrate the impact of their services. For CDSME programs, having data on how the program improves health outcomes (measuring weight, blood pressure and cholesterol) would be beneficial. For reentry programs, having data on the correlation between connecting recently released individuals to necessary services (such as transportation, housing and employment) and the impact on recidivism, would substantiate the need for these programs. Having the systems in place to track outcomes would underscore the importance of the AAA interventions and may serve to enhance collaboration with the correctional system. While tracking outcomes is important, it has also been necessary for AAAs to establish metrics prior to beginning a program to make the case and secure buy-in from key stakeholders. Some AAAs have struggled to secure data from prison and jail partners, such as the numbers of prisoners who plan to return home to the AAA service area after their discharge.
Some AAAs have found challenges with engaging the correctional system in these programs. While some correctional facilities have been very receptive to partnerships and see the value in providing aging-related services in jails or prisons, others have been reluctant to partner with external organizations. Further education on the unique needs and challenges faced by the aging prison population with criminal justice stakeholders would be beneficial.
An additional challenge that AAAs face in serving this population is overcoming established biases toward this demographic. When core programs are already stretched, stakeholders may question whether inmates or recently released individuals are as deserving of support as those who have not been convicted of crimes. On the other hand, some aging prisoners may have a bias against “the system” and have reservations about using a government-funded program when they feel that the system has not always served their best interests. One example of this type of bias can be seen in the DC reentry program, which was focused on employment. As part of the assessment to ensure clients are matched with the most appropriate resources, questions about mental health and addiction are raised. The DC program found that individuals did not always feel comfortable disclosing this type of information, resulting in employment placements that did not align with the needs or abilities of the individual being served.