Closely approaching advanced age in a supermax prison

Abstract

When a Social Security recipient reaches the age of 50 years, he or she is classified as "closely approaching advanced age." Todd Ashker is passing this tipping point at Pelican Bay State Prison in California, a supermaximum security facility. My wife and I have corresponded with Mr. Ashker for more than half a dozen years. Although I cannot verify the details of his account, we believe that his representation of facts is generally reliable. He is one of the spokespersons for prisoners who conducted two hunger strikes in 2011 protesting conditions of their confinement. Another, sixty-day hunger strike took place in 2013. Thus, what follows is a story of resilience as well as victimization.