The biggest challenge that elderly inmates pose is the cost to house them. With it being double, triple, and even quadruple the cost than the traditional prisoner to house, it puts a financial burden on the prison systems. Other challenges that elderly inmates pose are protecting them from other inmates because they cannot defend themselves and to ensure they are receiving all of their required health care. It is expected that for every elderly inmate, they will have at the minimum “three chronic illnesses” (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2015, p. 405). Correctional institutions across the country also struggle with being in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act because they have to ensure that the elderly inmates have all of the