Jails ‘fail to plan for rise in older lags’

THE Prison Service and local authorities are failing to plan for a projected rise in elderly, ill and frail inmates, a report warns.

Many older jails are illequipped for lags in wheelchairs or with mobility issues, HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the Care Quality Commission said.

The watchdogs also flagged concerns on a lack of support overnight.

And the review of social care in prisons in England and Wales added that there is effectively a “postcode lottery” for services.

Overall, the report slammed “a serious defect in strategic planning”.

As of last December, lags of 50 and over totalled 13,522, or 16%, of inmates.