Hong Kong’s elderly prisoner population has nearly doubled in past decade, and jails are struggling to cope
Escorting inmates for hospital treatment and to see medical specialists is a major drain on manpower, authorities say
Hong Kong prisons are struggling to cope with an ageing population after the number of elderly inmates almost doubled in the past decade, placing tremendous pressure on manpower.
Figures obtained by the Post show the number of prisoners aged 60 and above surged by 86.8 per cent between 2007 and 2017, from 234 to 437. This came despite the overall prison population shrinking by 28.7 per cent, to reach 6,728.
Elderly prisoners accounted for 6.5 per cent of all inmates, compared with just 2.5 per cent in 2007.
Lawmakers and elderly care specialists urged the government to adopt age-friendly policies in prisons after the Correctional Services Department admitted health care needs had soared, piling pressure on guards and other staff.
One of the biggest drains on manpower is escorting prisoners to hospitals for treatment and to see specialists. The personnel deployed for medical escort duties significantly increased from about 39,000 man-days on average each year between 2014 and 2016 to 41,091 man-days in 2017, the department revealed.