Crime of the Elderly as a New Problem of Criminal Policy?
This article addresses the problem of crime among the elderly and selected issues that may arise in case of their imprisonment. Research and statistics show that, apart from limiting the number of crimes committed with violence as a consequence of the general weakening of the organism, crimes of older people do not differ fundamentally from crimes of younger people. Therefore, it seems sufficient to apply to the eldery the general requirement of individualization of criminal responsibility instead of creating separate grounds for their liability. In the sphere of reaction to crime, however, especially in case of imprisonment, there are significant problems related to adapting its conditions to the needs of eldery (especially due to the state of their health) in order to avoid any accusation of their inhumane treatment. Polish legal regulations do not differentiate the way in which eldery are treated in prisons. Therefore legal amendments are postulated, that would enable them seeking, after reaching a certain age, the possibility of applying for early release on special conditions and the possibility of adapting the prison regulations to the special needs of such persons.
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