Doing Harder Time?: The Experiences of an Ageing Male Prison Population in England and Wales

In his seminal text Society of Captives, Gresham Sykes discusses the general pains of imprisonment to which all prisoners are subjected: the deprivation of liberty, the deprivation of heterosexual relationships, and the deprivation of autonomy. Sykes recognised that different prisoners experience these pains differently, and as a result, are affected to a greater or lesser degree by their time inside. In this groundbreaking book, Natalie Mann investigates the idea that apart from the general pains of imprisonment discussed by Sykes, certain characteristics which certain prisoners hold makes them more likely to suffer from what she terms term 'added pains', i.e. the extra difficulties, deprivations and frustrations which exist within certain subsections of the prison population. The ageing prison population is a key example of a group who experience added pains of imprisonment. Their weaker appearance, their old-fashioned views and their less able bodies are all factors which result in them experiencing extra problems within prison. It is these added pains and the ageing men's experiences of them, which this book addresses. Framed within the theoretical perspective of structuration theory, but also drawing on aspects of Goffman's interactionism and Bourdieu's concept of habitus, this book offers a unique interpretation of research carried out with ageing prisoners and their prison officers and shows the reality of prison for those who are reaching the end of their life course.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Introduction; The child sex offenders; Ageing and the prison regime; Coping strategies and sources of support; Power, order and the maintenance of a masculine identity; Discussions and conclusions; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author :
Natalie Mann, Anglia Ruskin University, UK

Review :
'... Dr. Mann makes a valiant effort in providing one of the few studies that has focused on the inner lives of older men doing time. This book should be a most helpful resource for prison policy makers and for researchers who continue to break new ground on this increasingly important topic.' International Criminal Justice Review 'Revealing for the first time the plight of older men in prison and addressing the challenges faced by prison officers in managing the needs of this cohort Mann approaches her research material with sensitivity and shows that the needs of an ageing prison population have to be confronted. It is an engaging and challenging read - a must for those who are interested and working with older offenders.' Azrini Wahidin, Queen's University Belfast, UK 'Doing Harder Time? is an insightful and engaging book on the daily challenges of aging in prison. The topic is extremely timely as the aging prison population has become a worldwide concern. The qualitative approach is most compelling as the personal narratives bring to life the vivid account of this group of elderly male's prison experiences.' Ronald H. Aday, Middle Tennessee State University, USA '[Mann] should be commended for securing access at all, and for undertaking what must have been difficult and delicate interviews. There is much in this book which merits further analysis and wider exposure, both about ageing prisoners in general and about the sex offenders who comprise a significant portion of this overall subpopulation.' British Journal of Criminology 'Doing Harder Time? provides the reader with thought provoking insights into the experiences of incarcerated males. By focusing on men over the age of 55, Mann has chosen to centre her book upon several main themes - ageing, prison, agency, identity, masculinity - and in the process contributes to wider discussions found in gerontological, sociological and criminological inquiry. This widens the book's appeal to practitioners, academics and undergraduate students in a variety of disciplines and areas... Mann's research findings are based upon forty in-depth interviews with inmates and ten interviews with prison officers. As dialectical and immersive encounters, Mann invites readers to become absorbed as she has, by the often distressing accounts of daily prison routines and practices. Doing Harder Time is therefore full of rich qualitative detail which draws readers behind the prison walls and inside the minds of older men in prison... Mann's proximity to the older male prisoners in her study and remarkable ability to bring to the fore their perceptions and experiences, is perhaps this book's greatest strength.' Sociological Research Online 'This book makes grim reading and a only wish more people would take the trouble to do so, for Nathalie Mann has crafted a compelling account of an issue few people will find compelling. It tells the story of men in prison who will, most likely, die there of old age, their lives progressively degraded by growing infirmity and permanent incarceration.' Ageing and Society