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Commentary on 'No One Knows: offenders with learning disabilities and learning difficulties'
- Author:
- MANSELL Jim
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 14(1), February 2009, pp.27-28.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
In commenting on a paper by Jenny Talbot the author discusses possible reasons for the increase in the number of people with learning disabilities who are in prison. The reason highlighted are a reduction in the scope of social care services, a lack of alternative long-stay institutions and a change in social work activity from casework to care management.
No one knows, offenders with learning disabilities and learning difficulties
- Author:
- TALBOT Jenny
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 14(1), February 2009, pp.18-26.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
There is a lack of clarity about the prevalence of offenders with learning disabilities and learning difficulties. However, it is clear is that, regardless of actual numbers, many offenders have learning disabilities and learning difficulties that interfere with their ability to cope within the criminal justice system. No One Knows is a UK-wide programme led by the Prison Reform Trust that aims to effect change by exploring and publicising the experiences of people with learning disabilities and learning difficulties who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The article highlights the aims of the No One Knows programme and considers recent research on prevalence, the views of prison staff on how prisoners with learning disabilities of difficulties were identified and their needs met, and draws attention to some of the reasons for the different findings.
Information book for prisoners with a disability: easy read
- Authors:
- GREAT BRITAIN. Department of Health, PRISON REFORM TRUST
- Publisher:
- Prison Reform Trust
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 13p.
- Place of publication:
- London
An easy read booklet for disabled prisoners which provides information about prison life and how to get help to do things in prison. Areas covered include what to do if: you feel worried, find it hard to understand information, find it hard to do things in prison, you feel ill or need to take medicine and how to prepare for life after prison.
Lord Bradley's report on people with mental health problems or learning disabilities in the criminal justice system: the government's response
- Author:
- GREAT BRITAIN. Ministry of Justice
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Ministry of Justice
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 29p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This response begins with a long introduction detailing the matters considered. A grid gives Bradley's recommendations, their status (accepted, accepted in principle or under review) and proposed action.
Extra time
- Author:
- BURROW Ben
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, November 2009, pp.26-28.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Evidence is highlighted that suggests prisoners with learning disabilities are spending longer than they should in prison because adjustments are not being made for them. Problems include the failure of the prison service to identify and record disabilities within the service and the fact that many offending behaviour programmes are inaccessible to prisoners with learning disabilities. A case study of the experiences of one prisoner with severe learning disabilities is included.
Scant justice
- Author:
- WILLIAMS Corin
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 5.3.09, 2009, pp.26-27.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
People with learning disabilities can be more easily manipulated by both criminals and the police. The author discusses issues such as false confessions, a lack of understanding of the criminal justice system and the lack of rehabilitation opportunities in prison if convicted. The article briefly discusses the recent case of Mohamad Abdulaziz Rashid Saeed-Alim, a young man with Asperger's syndrome and learning disabilities, who had been converted to Islam by extremists and then been persuaded to attempt mass murder.
Assessing the prevalence of intellectual disability among young male prisoners
- Author:
- HERRINGTON Victoria
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 53(5), May 2009, pp.397-410.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In recent years, academic debate has (re)focused on the extent of the co-occurrence of intellectual disability (ID) and criminality, although findings from prevalence studies examining this link have been inconsistent. In April 2004, a process for transferring responsibility for commissioning healthcare services in UK prisons to Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) commenced. This development meant that it was important for PCTs to ascertain the need for specialist ID services in prisons in their areas. Because there were no reliable prevalence data, this research was commissioned by one such PCT. Using a stratified random sampling frame, data were collected from 185 young adult male prisoners aged 18 and 21 years old. Participants completed a semi-structured research questionnaire, the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (Second Edition) (KBIT2) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Second Edition) (VABS2). Ten per cent had an IQ composite of 69 or below, indicating a significant impairment in cognitive functioning. A further 10% had IQ composite scores between 70 and 74, and 14% between 75 and 79. None of the sample had an Adaptive Behavior Composite (ABC) score of 69 or less, although 15% scored between 70 and 79 on this measure. While none of the sample could be classified as having an ID in strict diagnostic terms, 4% scored 69 or below on the KBIT2 and in the borderline (71–79) range on the VABS2, 4% had borderline ABCs and IQs between 70 and 74; and 3% had borderline ABCs and IQs less than 79. This equates to a point prevalence of borderline ID of 11%. The results support suggestions that this group are prevalent – and easily hidden – in mainstream criminal justice settings. Differences between borderline ID inmates and non-ID counterparts are discussed, and implications for service delivery are considered.
Disabled prisoners: a short thematic review on the care and support of prisoners with a disability
- Author:
- HM INSPECTORATE OF PRISONS
- Publisher:
- HM Inspectorate of Prisons
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 66p.
- Place of publication:
- London
The National Offender Management Service is subject to the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. This thematic report draws together information from prisoner surveys and inspection reports between 2006 and 2008, together with responses from 82 prison disability liaison officers (DLOs), to examine how well prisons are currently able to discharge these duties. Areas covered include: environment and relationships; safety; health services; activities; and resettlement. The report makes a number of recommendations.
Effects of intellectual functioning on cognitive behavioural anger treatment for adults with learning disabilities in secure settings
- Authors:
- TAYLOR John, NOVACO Raymond W., JOHNSON Lucy
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, 3(4), December 2009, pp.51-56.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
In both community and secure settings, anger has been shown to be associated with aggression and violence in adults with learning disabilities. Although evidence has shown that cognitive behavioural anger treatment can be effective in reducing the assessed levels of anger in these patients, it has been suggested that the effectiveness of these interventions is significantly affected by an individual’s verbal ability. This service evaluation study of 83 offenders with learning disabilities who received cognitive behavioural anger treatment, examines the pre-treatment, post-treatment and 12 month follow-up assessment in order to investigate whether participants responsiveness to a treatment was a function of measured verbal IQ. Overall, the results indicated that the effectiveness of anger treatment was not the result of higher verbal ability, as reflected in verbal IQ scores. The authors conclude that cognitive behavioural therapy for anger control problems can be effective for both men and women with moderate, mild and borderline levels of intellectual functioning and forensic histories, and that the positive outcomes are maintained, and even increase, at the 12 month follow-up.