After release from prison, many elderly former residents of San Quentin said they have found themselves lacking resources such as housing, medical care, and employment. At the same time, the homeless population in the U.S. has hit a record high, with California having the nation’s largest unhoused community.

Some current San Quentin Rehabilitation Center residents said they feared living on the streets. The high cost of living and health care has exacerbated fear of release for many older residents.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do when I get out,” said Randy Hanson, a 73-year-old resident at SQRC. “I have no one left out there. All my folks are dead. A lot of times, I think I’ll be better off staying in prison.”

One resident interviewed for this story went as far as saying he considered sabotaging his release.

Older residents about to go home would require unique parole plans to help them set up a successful transition. According the International Journal of Prisoner Health 2023, elderly adults — aged 55 and over — often faced added challenges while attempting to achieve a healthy reentry.

IJPL stated that some of these barriers included housing, continuity of health care and access to health insurance, and problems with obtaining social security benefits.

Resident Mike Beaudette said two programs — California Re-Entry and California Re-Entry Institute — focused on helping residents of any age to prepare for release by providing community-based support.

Beaudette said a new Peer Support Specialist Program recently developed by California Correctional Health Care Services would help incarcerated residents of all ages. PSSP graduates have certifications in the CCHCS program that allowed them to acquire skills emphasizing relapse prevention.

“It’s difficult to make it out there with only $200.00 gate money,” said 63-year-old San Quentin resident Stevin Faith. “[The program] sounds like some of these peer support guys might know what I’m going through and be able to help.”

The IJPH reported 131,500 persons over 55 held in state prisons, amounting to an increase of 400% since 1993.

The report also stated, “Older adults who are or have been incarcerated constitute a growing population in the USA. The complex health needs of this group are often inadequately addressed when transitioning back into the community.”

“A lot of these guys are institutionalized and have been locked up for so long they cannot see a future on the other side of these walls,” Hansen said.