PRISONERS VOICES

Experiences of the Criminal Justices System of Prisoners with Learning Disabilities and Difficulties

Vulnerable people face abuse and discrimination throughout the Criminal Justice system

A failure of leadership and direction across the criminal justice system has resulted in vulnerable people facing personal, systemic and routine discrimination from the point of arrest through to release from prison, according to a groundbreaking, three year review published in November 2008 by the Prison Reform Trust.

Prisoners Voices finds that, at worst, the absence of police safeguards increases the likelihood of vulnerable people experiencing miscarriages of justice, that once in court their lack of understanding grows as their lives are taken over by opaque court procedures and legalistic terminology and in prison many are left to fend for themselves in a shadowy world of not quite knowing what is going on around them or what is expected of them.

Prisoners Voices is the concluding report of the Prison Reform Trust's No One Knows programme revealing the experiences of people with learning disabilities or difficulties in contact with the criminal justice system.  

Previous reports, have estimated that 20-30 per cent of offenders have learning disabilities or difficulties that interfere with their ability to cope within the criminal justice system.

The report has been submitted to the independent Bradley review looking at the diversion of offenders with mental health problems and learning disabilities, which is expected to report to ministers in the New Year. 

Although the report finds pockets of good practice it concludes that those providing leadership in the criminal justice system throughout the UK are failing in their legal duty to eliminate disability discrimination and promote equality.

To download a copy of the report - follow this link

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE