Results: 150

For: crime

Black patients’ first contact with mental health services is more likely to be coercive

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It is well documented that there are differences in how patients are treated, depending on their ethnicity. Previous inquiries in the UK have suggested that the NHS is institutionally racist (Blofeld et al, 2003). Some groups, for example those from African Caribbean or Aboriginal descent, experience more coercive care and poor outcomes, including higher doses of [read the full story…]

Improvements needed in training, joint working and liaison arrangements with criminal justice system for people with learning disabilities says report

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Background As far back as 1992, the Reed Report into the care of mentally disordered offenders identified the need for close working between the Police, Health and Social Services and set out some clear principles for offenders with learning disabilities which called for a individually tailored approach with care and treatment provided in the community, [read the full story…]

Screening for mental health problems in the adult prison population

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On 14th May 2010, when Kenneth Clarke returned to the Ministry of Justice, the prison population in England and Wales was 85,009. When he had previously been Home Secretary in 1992-93, the average prison population had been 44,628 (Prison Briefing 2010). This represents a 90% increase in a period when crime rates were generally falling. The [read the full story…]

Interventions for drug using offenders: What works in reducing drug use and criminal activity?

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It is estimated that between 10% (Gunn 1991) and 39% (Brooke 1996) of prisoners in the UK are dependent on illicit drugs; and that 14.5% of male and 31% of female prisoners have serious mental health problems (Steadman 2009). Drug use can be associated with many health, social and criminological consequences; and when mental health [read the full story…]

Continued low rate of use of appropriate adults for detainees with learning disabilities and ADHD cause for concern

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Background Last week we posted about the recent multi agency inspection of responses to people with learning disabilities in the criminal justice system which suggested that information was poorly shared and that significant improvements were possible. The researchers in this study worked in a large London metropolitan police station and were interested in looking at [read the full story…]

Needs of people with learning disabilities in criminal justice system not being met

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Background We know that people with learning disabilities in the criminal justice system can be especially vulnerable, and the recent Bradley report highlighted a number of approaches that could be taken to prevent this vulnerable group being caught in the revolving door of the criminal justice system. It is unclear however how many people with [read the full story…]

Predictors of outcomes of police involvement in behavioural crises analysed in Canadian study

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Background Published research in the last few years has shed some light on the experiences of people with learning disabilities in the criminal justice system, with significant evidence emerging of their vulnerability. The authors of this current study however, were interested in the ways in which people might, or might not, become involved in the [read the full story…]

Effective circles of support recommended for success of strategies to reduce abuse in people with learning disabilities

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Background Recent events have highlighted the increased risk of abuse faced by people with learning disabilities. Local authorities regularly collect data on adult protection referrals and one study has looked at trends that have emerged from analysis of this data Last year, we posted about a study based on in-depth interviews focusing on the experience [read the full story…]

Prisoners with learning disabilities in Australian study had significantly worse health outcomes than their non-disabled peers

Background Prisoners have general health needs similar to those found in the general population, although there is a higher incidence of substance misuse and mental health problems as well as a range of health issues which are consequences of imprisonment. In 2007, a Prison Reform trust paper ‘No One Knows‘ suggested that between 20 and [read the full story…]

Extraneous risk factors play role in differences in self-reporting of anti-social behaviour among adolescents with and without mild to moderate learning disabilities

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Background Anti-social behaviour is a key issue of public concern with significant numbers of people reporting behaviours such as vandalism, graffiti and litter as problems in their local area. The Crime and Disorder Act (1998) defines anti-social behaviour as ‘Acting in a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to [read the full story…]