Although there is an increasing awareness of the needs of older inmates, comprehensive services are not uniform across the United States. Older inmates can fall into one of at least three categories, each with problems that must be addressed by the prison system: (1) those who were sentenced to prison after age 50; (2) those who have spent a number of years in prison with short periods of freedom; and (3) those who were sentenced to prison at an early age and grew up there. Services for these groups include medical care, housing, productive work assignments, exercise programs, and release programs. Release programs are of three types: release under community supervision or at the expiration of sentence; compassionate release; and release to hospice care for inmates who are terminally ill. In addition, there are special needs issues concerning aging female inmates. Even with the best wellness, early intervention and preventive programs and activities designed to meet their needs, older inmates are a costly group to incarcerate. The article concludes that policymakers within and outside corrections will need to consider effective alternatives to incarceration for those in this group who can be safely punished in the community. References