This document discusses issues related to people with disabilities in prisons. It notes that all countries have legal systems and prisons, but they are often ineffective or overwhelmed. For prisons, there is a dichotomy between security and rehabilitation/humanity that is challenging. The document advocates for recognizing the humanity and rights of all prisoners. It also discusses the need for clearer policies, addressing abuse and neglect, and the importance of rehabilitation including family visits. Overall change is needed to improve conditions for disabled prisoners.

1. PEOPLE with DISABILITY in PRISON
People
PrisonDisabled
Presented by Miss Julie Pitts

2. Global Issues
• We are all human
• We all have the same basic rights
• We all make mistakes
• All countries have laws and people who break
them – including people with disability
• All countries have systems to deal with this, but
generally are ineffective &/or overwhelmed
• Lack of clarity of the purpose of a prison
• Lack of clarity of the role of a prison officer

3. Purpose
The UK Prison Services statement of purpose reads:
“Her Majesty’s Prison Service serves the public by keeping in custody those
committed by the courts. Our duty is to look after them with humanity and
help them lead law abiding and useful lives in custody and after release.”
DICHOTOMY OF NEEDS
Security/ Protect the public from dangerous offenders
Reform/Rehabilitate
Challenge assumptions – behavioural cause
Proposed alteration to deal with dichotomy of needs emphasis.
“It is our duty to help those committed by the courts to live useful and law – abiding lives
in prison and on release, with the qualification that they must not be allowed to escape
and they must be treated with humanity.”
Lord Romsbotham

4. Well Governor, we
let him have a
thermal hat to
keep warm and
he used it as a
disguise – we just
couldn’t see him!
So, tell me, how did
an 81 year old man in
a wheelchair manage
to escape?
Dichotomy of needs: Security v humanity

5. Issues for Prison Staff
• Lack of clarity on prison purpose
• Lack of clarity on prison guard role
• Inconsistency from prison to prison
• Security versus humanity
• Health and Safety
• Microcosm of Society – education, health,
religion/spiritual practice etc – overwhelming
• Resources – estimates re disability, not facts!
• Prison officer – prisoner relationships

6. What has already been achieved?
• Queens speech “Biggest shake – up of prison system
announced as part of the Queen’s speech” Gov.uk
• Prison and Courts Reform Bill (England and Wales)
• PA New "reform" prisons to be opened, with emphasis
on training, rehabilitation and education
• Governors of new prisons to have freedom to agree
service contracts and establish their own boards
• More statistics on post-release offending and
employment rates to be published
• Courts and tribunals to be modernised, with greater
use of technology to reduce delays

7. Abuse
NOMS PSI 16/2015 Adult safeguarding in Prisons
ONCE YOU DENIGRATE ONE PERSON, YOU DENIGRATE US ALL
“Abuse is any act, or failure to act, which results in a
significant breach of a prisoner’s human rights, civil liberties,
bodily integrity, dignity or general wellbeing, whether
intended or inadvertent; including sexual relationships or
financial transactions to which a person has not or cannot
validly consent, or which are deliberately exploitative.”
HUMAN RIGHTS DO NOT STOP AT THE PRISON DOOR

8. Neglect
NOMS PSI 16/2015 Adult safeguarding in Prisons
“Neglect is a failure to identify and meet the needs of a prisoner,
for example by ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs,
failing to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or
educational services or withholding of the necessities of life, such as
medication, adequate nutrition and heating. In the prison context
neglect by others is principally relevant to the behaviour of staff,
because of their duty of care for prisoners…”
DISABILITY IN PRISON SHOULD NOT MEAN
“DOUBLE TIME”

9. Rehabilitation; The importance and needs of
Visitors & Families
WHO ARE THEY? ISSUE/IMPACT
FAMILY
FRIENDS
STAFF
LAWYERS
SUPPORT PERSONNEL
CHAPLAINCY
NHS PERSONNEL
SUPPORT AGENCIES
YOU?
ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS –
UNIVERSAL GUIDE IN VARIOUS
FORMATS NEEDED
APPROACH/ATTITUDE – VISITORS ARE
NOT PRISONERS AND SHOULD NOT BE
TREATED AS SUCH
ACCESS TO MEDICATION
WITHOUT THESE PREVENTED FROM
ATTENDING
“40% of prisoners said that support from their family and 36% said that seeing
their children, would help them stop reoffending in the future.” Prison Reform Trust, Ibid

10. Why is CHANGE so important?
“If you always do what you have always done,
You always get what you’ve always got.”
“A nations prisons are indicative of its society”
The difference between responsibility & blame
Only by taking responsibility as individuals and as a society
can we change
Change, especially constructive change, is a personal choice.

11. What could our Governments do?
• Listen
• Act – how:
• United Nations CRPD Articles
• Give current laws ‘teeth’
• Obey the Law – immediate SS assessment of
needs
• Monitor numbers accurately & allocate resources
accordingly
• Monitor to safeguard vulnerable adults externally
• Hold accountable for choices and actions

12. What can WE do as individuals?
• Stop avoiding the issue – raise awareness
• Stop allowing your fear to rule your life
• Act from love & compassion not hate, anger or
fear : Tyger Blair, Zen community USA
• Speak openly
• Speak to the basic humanity, not the conviction
• Believe what you say
• Lead by example
• Sing, write, paint, create – TELL THE STORY

13. “Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear, which is why it is
such a powerful weapon”
Nelson Mandela, Invictus
“What you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
Only engage, and then the mind grows hearted.
Begin it, and the work will be completed.”
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
“For one human being to love another,
That is perhaps the most difficult of our tasks,
The ultimate, the last test and proof,
The work for which all other work is but preparation.”
Rainer Maria Rilke
Words to consider…