The development of a screening tool for individuals with possible learning needs
| Published date | 01 March 2019 |
| Author | Emma Cluley |
| DOI | 10.1177/0264550518825053b |
| Date | 01 March 2019 |
| Subject Matter | Research & reports |
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Risk assessment tools are sometimes able to predict prison violence to some
extent. Tools that provided the best results included Risk Assessment Scale for
Prison (RASP). Others, however, including HCR-20 and PCL: R, did not, from
this REA, show significant association with predicting physical violence in
prison.
Being a gang member and having been convicted of murder was identified
as a predictor of serious prison violence; however, on their own the variables
were not predictors.
Race and ethnicity were not conclusive and often correlated with other factors
including differential treatment by staff and levels of disadvantage.
Two English studies found strong association with violence and personality
disorder (anti-social, narcissistic and paranoid). These studies also attributed
violent acts to self-esteem problems and experiencing interpersonal stressors.
The report highlights that safer prisons are not achieved through stricter, more
controlled environments, but where communication of rules appears legitimate and
justifiable to prisoners and is implemented justly and fairly. Such practice required
high levels of staff skills and the opportunities to build positive and collaborative
relationships.
‘Understanding Prison Violence: A Rapid Evidence Assessment – Analytic Summary
2018’ by Professor James McGuire, HMPPS, is available online at: https://www.
gov.uk/government/publications/understanding-prison-violence-a-rapid-evidence-
assessment
Emma Cluley
NPS (North West)
The development of a screening tool for individuals with
possible learning needs
Learning disability is distinct from specific learning disabilities or learning difficulties
that can refer to a variety of disorders that impact upon understanding, retention of
information or verbal and non-verbal information, for example dyslexia. It is thought
that between 20 and 30 per cent of the prison population have some form of
learning difficulty that affects their ability to cope in the Criminal...
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