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Offenders

People with learning disabilities who are in the criminal justice system should have the same rights as offenders who do not have a learning disability. There is growing number of people with mild learning disabilities in prisons. Often their needs are not looked at.

We want people with learning disabilities to understand why they are in prison, their rights whilst they are in prison and to understand any information given to them whilst in prison.
 

The Department of Health launched the "Positive Practice, Positive Outcomes" handbook on the 1st March 2011. This handbook is to help staff working in the Criminal Justice System understand and support offenders who may have learning disabilities.

Read the "Positive Practice, Positive Outcomes: A handbook for criminal justice staff working with offenders with learning disabilities." 

At the same time, the booklet 'Staying Positive" has been launched for people with learning disabilities. This gives people some information about the Criminal Justice System. It also explains to the reader that Criminal Justice staff have been given their own handbook explaining the needs of offenders with learning disabilities. 

Read the "Staying Positive: The Criminal Justice System and Learning Disabilities (Easy Read Information for People with Learning Disabilities and Learning Difficulties)"

Some criminal justice staff have been trained in learning disability awareness to help them communicate more effectively. Other projects include testing out a set of questions that staff should be able to use to help them see if someone might have a learning disability, as it might not be visible that a person has learning disabilities, particularly if they have mild learning disabilities.

Criminal justice staff should make sure that offenders with learning disabilities have the following:

To read the handbook for professionals in the Criminal Justice System click here

To read more about Access to justice click here
 

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