21% Of Older Inmates Have Cognitive Disability, Triple The Rate Of Community-Dwelling Older Adults

A total of 20.8% of older U.S. inmates have cognitive disability. This is three times the rate among community-dwelling older adults (7.1%).

For all disabilities, adults 55 years or older in prison had nearly twice the rate of any disability (39.4%) than their community-dwelling peers (21.3%). This includes cognitive, ambulatory, independent living, and self-care difficulties:

Comparison Of Disabilities For Older Adults In Prison Versus Those In The CommunityDisability Type% Of Older Adults In Prison% Of Older Adults In The CommunityAmbulatory29.3%17.3%Cognitive20.8%7.1%Independent Living15.5%10.6 . . .