**4. Purpose of book chapter**

Research on trauma in the criminal justice population has commonly examined sexual victimization (e.g., Harlow, 1999; Maschi et al., 2011). These prior studies primarily document whether or not a sexual victimization has occurred or not. We lack information about the various types of sexual victimization (from minor to severe types), and the age or developmental period at which it occurred. There has been little exploration of older adults' life-course subjective experiences at the time of occurrence of sexual victimization and currently while living through later life in prison. There also is a dearth of knowledge on how these different types of sexual victimization are related to sexual offending among older adults in prison.

Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive study is to examine patterns of sexual abuse over the life-course, and temporal subjective experiences, both past and present, of sexual abuse among a sample of incarcerated older adults. It also provides a preliminary analysis of the data that examines the relationship between the different subtypes of trauma and sexual offendings. Research in this area can help expose the unexplored dimensions of sexual abuse in this largely neglected population. These findings have significance for improving trauma-informed responses among older adults, especially while in prison. As a result of examining this data, the need for effective trauma assessment in the correctional system, including specific sexual victimization assessment, along with efficacious trauma treatment modalities, is underscored. The urgency and magnitude of this public health problem is highlighted and the promise of treatment that can be used to interrupt the cycle of revictimization among these vulnerable older adults in prison.
