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As the number of elderly prisoners increases in the UK and other Western countries, there will be individuals who develop dementia whilst in custody. We present two case vignettes of men with dementia in English prisons, and explore some of the ethical implications that their continuing detention raises. We find little to support their detention in the various purposes of prison put forward by legal philosophers and penologists, and conclude by raising some of the possible implications of The Human Rights Act 1998.

Original publication

DOI

10.1136/jme.28.3.156

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Med Ethics

Publication Date

06/2002

Volume

28

Pages

156 - 159

Keywords

Health Care and Public Health, Legal Approach, Aged, Criminal Law, Dementia, Ethics, Forensic Psychiatry, Geriatric Assessment, Humans, Interview, Psychological, Male, Prisoners, Sex Offenses, Social Justice, United Kingdom