in prison<\/a> for theft, and the number of women aged over 65 behind bars has increased significantly over the past two decades.<\/p>\nPerhaps the most sobering part of it all is that some of these elderly women are believed to have resorted to theft with the very intention of being caught and sent to prison.<\/p>\n
Experts have said that the trend is linked to issues such as poverty, isolation, and gaps in the social safety net.<\/p>\n
For repeat offenders, prison can offer what life outside often cannot, including regular meals, shelter, medical care, and social interaction. Some inmates have even reportedly said they feel more secure in prison than outside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was reported that an 81-year-old woman in Japan shoplifted food after finding herself with only around S$50 left and having to wait two weeks for her next pension payment. It was later revealed that it was not her first offence, as she had previously been jailed in her 60s for the same crime.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Speaking in an interview, the woman said that prison is the most stable life she\u2019s ever experienced.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cIf I had been financially stable and had a comfortable lifestyle, I definitely wouldn\u2019t have done it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her son, who had been living with her before her imprisonment, was said to have told her, \u201cI wish you\u2019d just go away\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She later said she had stopped caring about her circumstances and felt life no longer had meaning.<\/p>\n
Ironically, upon their release, those in similar situations have said that they are more afraid of freedom than of returning to prison.<\/p>\n
Guards at <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>women\u2019s prison<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> in Japan also weighed in on the situation, with some confirming that certain inmates deliberately commit crimes in order to be incarcerated again. One guard added that the place now feels more like a nursing home than a prison.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nMany elderly women\u2019s pensions alone are reportedly not enough to cover their daily needs, and some turn to the option that provides them with warmth on cold days and shelter that they would otherwise have to pay for outside of prison. Combined with the loneliness many experience, it\u2019s really not surprising that some see prison as a more secure option.<\/p>\n
The issue has sparked debate in Japan about how seniors can be better supported to prevent poverty-driven crime and repeat incarceration.<\/p>\n
By 2030, around 31to 32 per cent of Japan\u2019s population is expected to be aged 65 and above, meaning around one in three people will be elderly.<\/p>\n
In response, efforts to reduce poverty-driven petty crime among seniors have focused on issues like financial strain and loneliness. These include welfare support, subsidised housing, and community programmes to keep older residents connected, as well as support for elderly offenders to access better care and benefits after release.<\/p>\n
In short, the concerning issue is increasingly seen as a social welfare problem rather than just a criminal one.<\/p>\n
Photos: CNN, Michael Burrows\/ Pexels<\/em><\/div>\n