The elder as a crime agent

This study aimed to analyze convicted elderly profile and understand which factors may influence crime practice by this population. In particular: 1) to point out what the current literature says about the elderly; 2) to investigate the factors that influence some elderly people to commit crimes; 3) to analyze elderly people profile who have committed crime and serve their sentence in open regime and conditional release in Pernambuco State. To do this, a literature review of the last five years (2013-2018) and a documentary analysis of statistical data, provided by Pernambuco Penitentiary Patronage in the month of March 2018 were performed. Thus, the profile of a predominantly male population, between 60 and 68 years of age, white, with incomplete elementary education, residents of metropolitan area, of diversified professions, mostly bricklayers, farmers, traders and drivers was found. They were convicted of committing homicide, sexual offenses and drug trafficking. Therefore, it has been observed that elderly population increase occurs in an outside the prisons. This fact is related mainly to criminal recidivism, for many grow older in crime. In addition, violence in all spheres of society affects mostly the class that becomes vulnerable to involvement with crime. Therefore, psychic, cultural, social, and economic factors can motivate elderly to become criminals. From the results, we expect to contribute to the debate on the subject and, therefore, to subsidize the practice of professionals who deal with this problem.