The prevalence of intellectual disability in a major UK prison

Abstract

Accessible summary This research aimed to find out how many people in a big English prison had a learning disability. One‐tenth of the people in the prison were chosen to take part. There were 140 prisoners involved in the study. The prisoners were asked questions about their lives and took tests to see if they had a learning disability. The researchers found there were more people with learning disabilities in prison than people had thought before. People in prison who have a learning disability need extra help. People who have a learning disability also need special help when they leave prison and go back to live in the community. SummaryOver‐representation of people with learning disability in prisons has been demonstrated in many Western jurisdictions. This was the first comprehensive research in a UK prison. The research used a random 10% sample of a prison population (n = 140). A semi‐structured interview, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – III (UK version) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) Interview Edition were administered. On the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – III, UK version (WAIS‐III (UK)), 7.1% of participants achieved standard scores below 70 and a further 23.6% were in the 70–79 (borderline) range. The VABS results indicated that 10.1% had standard scores below 70 and a further 33.3% were in the borderline range. The results indicate that the prevalence of intellectual (or learning) disability as measured on either or both of the WAIS‐III (UK) or the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales is higher than previous research in the UK has indicated. The results have implications for provision of services in prison and post‐release.