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Prisoners' voices: experiences of the criminal justice system by prisoners with learning disabilities
- Author:
- BEAIL Nigel
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 15(3), July 2010, pp.42-45.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This paper comments on the article in this issue by Jenny Talbot which describes research on prisoners with learning difficulties and disorders. It discusses the very wide inclusion criteria used in Talbot’s article, which includes people who have a diagnosis of a learning disability and those who have other learning difficulties and disorders. Thus the paper includes people who have average intellectual functioning but with other conditions such as Asperger’s syndrome or learning disorders such as dyslexia. This paper describes how the prisoners with learning disabilities are struggling to cope, and concludes that the UK prisons are not recognising or meeting their needs. Of particular concern is that the participants went through the criminal justice system from being a suspect, through the Court and into prison without their disabilities being identified or supported. Thus the criminal justice agencies are failing in their legal duty to promote disability equality and to eliminate discrimination.