Intellectual disability screening in women prisoners: preliminary evaluation

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychiatry
• Intellectual Disability Services
• Criminal Justice Health

Background:

• Intellectual disability (ID) is prevalent in incarcerated populations.
• Women's prisons require tailored approaches for identifying and supporting prisoners with ID.
• Existing screening methods may not be optimized for the unique prison environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a new ID screening service in a UK women's prison.
• To assess the initial stages of an ID assessment pathway within the correctional setting.
• To identify barriers and facilitators for implementing ID screening in prisons.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of prisoner records for demographic characteristics and screening completion rates.
• Tracking time intervals for all stages of the ID assessment pathway.
• Review of referral and completion rates for secondary assessments.

Main Results:

• High completion rate (90%) for preliminary ID screens among 198 women prisoners.
• Most screens were completed upon or shortly after arrival.
• Significant drop-off in secondary assessments (4/23 completed) due to prisoner release before completion.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary ID screening is a feasible first step in women's prisons.
• Screening facilitates reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act.
• Dedicated resources are crucial for secondary assessments, definitive diagnosis, and care planning.
• The model can improve identification of at-risk prisoners and inform service planning.