Experiences of prison inmates with autism spectrum disorders and the knowledge and understanding of the spectrum amongst prison staff: a review
| Pages | 55-67 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JIDOB-06-2015-0014 |
| Date | 09 June 2015 |
| Published date | 09 June 2015 |
| Author | Clare Sarah Allely |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Learning & intellectual disabilities,Offending behaviour |
Experiences of prison inmates with autism
spectrum disorders and the knowledge
and understanding of the spectrum
amongst prison staff: a review
Clare Allely
Dr Clare Allely is Lecturer in
Psychology at the School of
Health Sciences, University of
Salford, Manchester, UK and
The Gillberg Neuropsychiatry
Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy,
University of Gothenburg,
Gothenburg, Sweden.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to explore the research which has examined the link between
autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and offending behaviour and the impact of prison on individuals with
ASDs. Studies suggest that inmates with ASDs may be at an increased risk of bullying, confrontations,
exploitation, anxiety and social isolation as a result of their ASD traits such as obsessions, social naivety and
impaired empathy.
Design/methodology/approach –An extensive review of the literature.
Findings –The review identifies a modest amount of studies (n ¼4) which have explored the experience of
individuals with ASD in prison and highlights that inmates with ASDs face a multitude of problems when they
enter prison. Despite an extensive literature search only one study was identified which investigated the
knowledge and understanding of ASDs amongst prison staff.
Research limitations/implications –Further research is urgently needed to consider the specific problems
faced by inmates with ASD, to identify how to make the prison environment safer and more supportive for
inmates with ASD and how to reduce the likelihood of re-offending.
Practical implications –This review highlights that, to date, there has been relatively little to guide service
design in order to develop support services for individuals with ASD in prison. There has been a scarcity of
studies investigating the effectiveness of various treatment models to target offending behaviour in individuals
with ASD.
Originality/value –This paper fulfils an identified need to study and identify the specific problems faced by
inmates with ASD and to identify changes which are required to provide an environment in prison which is
safer and more supportive.
Keywords Prison staff, Autism spectrum disorder, ASD, Asperger, Prison environment, Prison experience
Paper type Literature review
1. Introduction
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders which are typically
characterised by impairments in social reciprocal interactions and communication and restricted,
repetitive pattern of interests and behaviour (American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2000,
2013). It is unknown what the “true”ASD prevalence is (Fernell et al., 2012) but it is commonly
considered to occur in about 1 per cent of the general population (Simonoff, 2012). The most
widely used male-female ratio for ASD prevalence is 4-5:1 (Fombonne, 2009). The Diagnostic
Statistical Manual fifth edition’s (DSM-V, APA, 2013) criteria for ASD has seen numerous
Received 22 June 2015
Revised 12 August 2015
Accepted 14 September 2015
DOI 10.1108/JIDOB-06-2015-0014 VOL. 6 NO. 2 2015, pp.55-67, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8824
j
JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND OFFENDING BEHAVIOUR
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