Dedicated neurodiversity officers are now in place in every
public prison in England and Wales to better support offenders
away from crime.
The specialist staff are tasked with making sure prisoners with
neurodiverse needs are identified and can access the right
education and training opportunities while in prison which are
crucial to reducing reoffending.
Some neurodiverse offenders may have speech and language needs
which can lead to challenging behaviour, meaning they struggle to
engage with prison rules and rehabilitation programmes. Support
managers will ensure other prison staff know how to avoid and
de-escalate volatile situations when working with offenders that
have neurodiverse conditions.
It is estimated that up to half of the adult prison population
could be considered neurodivergent, covering a range of
conditions and disorders such as learning disabilities and
acquired brain injuries. Since April 2021, the Prison Service has
identified at least 25,000 prisoners enrolled in education who
have learning difficulties and disabilities.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, KC, said:
As a barrister I've seen first-hand the struggle that offenders
with conditions like autism and dyslexia can have in finding or
holding down a job that would help them turn their back on crime.
These specialist staff have deployed across all of our public
prisons. Not only will they help prisoners become law abiding
members of society but also make our prisons safer by training
officers to avoid and de-escalate outbursts
Neurodiversity support managers are also tasked
with training staff to support neurodivergent prisoners
through practical issues such as helping make those who struggle
to read aware of the rules. They will also prepare offenders for
interviews and make sure employers are aware of their
neurodivergence so they have better job prospects and the best
chance of staying on the straight and narrow.
As part of a drive to identify the needs of neurodiverse
offenders in the criminal justice system, the Prison Service has
now conducted more than 180,000 screenings since April 2021, as
well as opening four specialised units to improve support. This
includes HMP Pentonville where a recent inspection report noted
that there were fewer incidents of violence and a reduction in
assaults on the unit.
Further support for neurodivergence being introduced across the
criminal justice system includes new training for magistrates and
legal advisers on fair treatment for people with neurodiverse
conditions when they attend court.
Pavan Dhaliwal, Chief Executive of Revolving Doors, a charity
which supports offenders to break the cycle of crime, said:
We are pleased to hear that a key commitment of the
Neurodiversity Action Plan has been fulfilled, and there are now
Neurodiversity Support Managers in all publicly owned prisons in
the country.
A disproportionate number of people in prison are neurodiverse –
ensuring that they are able to access appropriate support, and
that the justice system is responsive to their needs, is key to
breaking the cycle of crisis and crime. We look forward to seeing
the impact this will have.
Further information
- Neurodiversity support managers are now in place in all 105
publicly owned prison and young offenders' institutes in England
and Wales.
- The Joint
Inspectorate Evidence Review in 2021 estimated that up
to half of the adult prison population is neurodivergent.
- The Cross-Government Neurodiversity in the
Criminal Justice System Action Plan was published in
response to the review and a 12-month
update was published in September 2023. Both show
significant progress made against commitments to increase
support for neurodivergent people encountering the criminal
justice system, but this government is determined to go
further.
