The most rapidly growing group of people in US prisons are men and women older than 55. Elderly prisoners often cannot readily climb stairs, haul themselves to the top bunk, or walk long distances to dining halls. They are more likely to suffer from incontinence, dementia, or chronic – and sometimes terminal – illnesses, and to need special treatment.

Yet prison officials are hard-pressed to address the mounting needs of these prisoners or provide them with appropriate housing, a new report says.

Human Rights Watch found that the number of prisoners age 65 or older grew at an astonishing 94 times the rate of the overall prison population between 2007 and 2010. Long sentences mean that many current prisoners will not leave prison until they become extremely old, if at all.

But older prisoners incur medical costs that are three to nine times as high as those for younger prisoners. Most prison officials are not prepared to handle this vulnerable population, as they grapple with strained budgets, prison architecture not designed for common age-related disabilities, limited medical facilities, and lack of support from elected officials. The result is a situation where human rights violations become all the more difficult to avoid.

Thirty-five Ethiopian Christians had gathered to pray during the advent of Christmas, in the home of one of the Ethiopians, when police burst in and arrested them.

The men and women remain in prison and have been told they will be deported, including those with valid residency papers.

Of those arrested, 29 were women. When they were jailed, the women were forced to strip and were subjected to a body cavity search. Officers kicked and beat the men in prison, and insulted them as “unbelievers.”

The Ethiopians, speaking via telephone from prison, said that about 10 days after being arrested, some in the group were taken to court, where they were forced to affix their fingerprints to a document without being allowed to read it. Officials told the group that they were being charged with “illicit mingling” between unmarried people of the opposite sex.

In October, Saudi Arabia, together with Austria and Spain, founded the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, located in Vienna.

The Saudi government should start interreligious dialogue by ensuring toleration of freedom of all religions at home.