73

One characteristic of the prison population is the young age of inmates but the proportion of prisoners over 50 years old increased from 5.0 % to 10.6 % in the nineties and it has reached 11.2 % on January 1st 2013. The experience lived by the “senior” inmates in French prison has therefore become a new and angle of analysis when investigating the prison environment and what is at stake there. The customs of the oldest inmates are closely related to the relations between all prisoners. Furthermore, the borders of this environment allow us to understand that this population, already confronted by challenges because of their age, also suffers from a settled way of life as well as confinement. Therefore, even if all inmates are restricted and limited in their movements, “senior” prisoners meet many more obstacles that cut down on their mobility and have an impact on their lives.