Friday, September 21, 2012

The Guardian on British Prisoners with Disabilities

See this troubling article.  An excerpt:
Hall's claims, though shocking, are not unique. Despite the Paralympics helping to challenge myths and raise awareness about disability, the neglect of disabled people in prison is well documented. 
Estimates of the number of disabled prisoners vary. The prison service database records a figure of 5% (around 4,500 prisoners), but inspectorate surveys record 19% (around 16,000). A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) survey earlier this year, found 18% of prisoners interviewed had a physical disability of some kind. The dramatic rise in the number of older prisoners in the system over the last decade is likely to further increase the disabled prisoner population. 
Yet a joint report by the Inspectorate of Prisons and Care Quality Commission in 2010 found an ageing prison population, where "disabilities were not being adequately dealt with and many prisons not having a disability policy". It also reported that it was "rare to find any form of needs analysis or consultation with prisoners to help establishments carry out their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act".

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