They couldn’t escape the law; now time has caught up with them as well.

A group of federal prison inmates aged 50 and older have been given the green light to proceed with a class-action lawsuit claiming their advanced years have made them targets for assault, intimidation and bullying.

Earlier this month, a federal court judge certified the proceeding — which includes allegations older inmates have been denied access to health services they need to cope with age-related indignities ranging from lost dentures to incontinence.

Justice Simon Fothergill gave the go-ahead for a class-action lawsuit claiming systemic negligence after hearing from inmates serving time for sexual assault and murder; he also heard evidence from Canada’s former correctional investigator.

In 2011, Howard Sapers — who served as prison system watchdog from 2004 to 2016 — warned of the problems involving the growing number of people aging behind bars.

“The older offender is often a neglected, but significant and growing, segment of the offender population,” Sapers wrote in an annual report.

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CBC News
January 30, 2024