Addressing Education, Training, and Employment Supports for Prisoners With Cognitive Disability: Insights from an Australian Programme

Abstract

The provision of appropriate education, training, and employment supports for incarcerated people is pivotal to mitigating the risk of recidivism, to improving rehabilitative outcomes, and to securing employment upon release. People with cognitive disability are disproportionately represented in prisons internationally. The vast majority of this group have significantly low levels of education, are unable to participate meaningfully in mainstream prison programs, are more likely to return to prison than their nondisabled peers and are generally excluded from the labor market. There is thus a significant need for specialized in‐prison education, training, and employment programs for this group. However, in Australia and internationally such programs are scant. There is also very little known about good policy and practice in this domain. We present findings from qualitative research conducted on one of the few specialist education, training, and employment program models for prisoners with cognitive disability in Australia. The findings suggest that a practice model informed by and delivered from a well‐considered theoretical base by a collaborative multidisciplinary team capable of adapting mainstream education, training, and employment programs in a flexible and culturally sensitive manner offers an opportunity to provide improved outcomes and greater equity for this highly disadvantaged group. The implications for policy and practice in this domain are discussed. We conclude that the expansion of appropriately designed education, training, and employment programs for prisoners with cognitive disability is critical to protecting the human rights and improving the life trajectories of this highly disadvantaged group.

The forgotten prisoners: Exploring the impact of imprisonment on people with disability in Australia

“…Materials were sometimes simplified to meet the perceived ability of people with disability rather than being specifically designed for them. This reflects findings of previous Australian research showing there are very few specialised education, training or education programmes for people with disability, an issue that must be rectified to reduce the risk of recidivism and improve rehabilitative outcomes (Rowe et al, 2020).…”

“…Other research has highlighted, however, that disability-specific prison units may result in people with disability spending most or all of their sentence within a high-security environment and unable to progress to a lower security rating or facility (Glaser and Deane, 1999). Deferring primary responsibility for prisoners with disability to staff in disability-specific units may also decrease the capacity of mainstream corrections staff to respond to the needs of people with disability (Rowe et al, 2020). Some scholars are also critical of the ability for carceral environments to integrate therapeutic principles, noting that the primary function of prisons to confine individuals against their will necessarily perverts any attempt to incorporate more therapeutic functions (Carlen and Tombs, 2006).…”

Supporting People with Social Care Needs On Release from Prison: A Scoping Review

“…Over and above this, some US states had developed special facilities offering pre-release programmes for older prisoners (Davies, 2011), whilst the RELIEF project in Canada delivered training in self-sufficiency and basic living skills to older, frail, conditionally released prisoners in a home-like centre (Davies, 2011). In Australia the 'Future Beyond the Wall' project developed a similar prerelease unit for prisoners with intellectual or cognitive impairment with a focus on functional rather than formal instruction (Rowe et al, 2020). Various arrangements were also described for the pre-term (compassionate) release of prisoners with special care needs, including people who were terminally ill/in need of institutional long-term care (Cornish et al, 2016;Di Lorito et al, 2018;Ethridge & White, 2015;Gibson & Ferrini, 2014;House of Commons Justice Committee, 2020).…”

‘If I don't get a job in six months' time, I can see myself being back in there’: Post‐prison employment experiences of people in Canberra

“…Recent Australian research has identified several elements of effective employment and job skill programmes for people involved with the criminal justice system. These include flexibility and tailoring programmes to individual needs, focusing on strengths and relationships, multi‐pronged and wrap‐around approaches, continuity of support from pre‐ to post‐release, and connecting jobseekers to employers willing to employ them (including securing jobs before release) (Baldry et al, 2018; Graffam et al, 2014a; Rowe et al, 2020).…”