Attitudes towards offenders with intellectual disability

Abstract

Purpose Public attitudes are considered influential in the successful reintegration of offenders into society after release, however research into attitudes towards offenders with intellectual disability (ID) has received little attention. The purpose of this study is firstly to see if people hold differing attitudes towards the reintegration of offenders with ID compared to those without ID and secondly, to investigate whether this difference in attitude is because of differing implicit theories of intelligence (TOI). The effects of familiarity with ID were also measured. Design/methodology/approach In total, 200 participants read crime vignettes depicting crimes committed by offenders with and without ID and completed Dweck’s “TOI” scale. Findings Participants were found to have greater entity views of intelligence towards ID yet displayed more positive attitudes towards their reintegration than offenders without ID. The influence of demographics was mixed. It would appear attitudes towards offenders with ID are not as negative as initially thought. Research limitations/implications Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of desistance and community integration. Practical implications While some care must be taken when interpreting the results, this study demonstrates positive results regarding the reintegration of offenders with ID. Attitudes may be changing for the better towards those with disabilities, which is positive in terms of the government and National Health Service (NHS) objectives to reintegrate people with ID successfully back into the community. Although limited in number, it is noted that community forensic mental health teams have been effective in managing offender risk and providing good quality care (Dinani,et al.,2010; Benton and Roy, 2008). They can provide more person-centred and specialist treatments options and have links with other community services, probation and the police (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2014). Social implications Community care is thought to lead to more timely treatments with more accessible support teams and services that those with ID would struggle to access in prison (Bradley, 2009). It can also lead to greater well-being and support as individuals are in a less restrictive environment and are closer to their social networks, acting as a protective factor against further reoffending (Benton & Roy, 2008; Bradley, 2009). Furthermore, it has been indicated significant financial savings would be achieved for the criminal justice system by reducing inpatient care and increasing community services and sentences, in addition to reducing the demand on prison spaces (Bradley, 2009; Benton & Roy, 2008). Originality/value To date, very few studies have used TOI to examine attitudes towards offenders, with none examining attitudes towards offenders with ID.

The Impact of Mental Illness and Intellectual Disability Information on General Public Perceptions of a Person Convicted of a Child Sex Offence

“…The current study also sheds novel light on the similarity in public perceptions of those convicted of child sex offences with a mental illness and intellectual disability, which was previously unexplored in the literature, indicating that attitudes may be less punitive towards both groups than towards an individual with neither diagnosis. This aligns with and extends prior findings that the public hold more positive attitudes towards community reintegration of people with intellectual disability who have committed a general (non-sexual) offence than those without a diagnosis (Worthington & Rossetti, 2020). However, interestingly, it has been argued that evidence of conscious cognitive planning of the offence significantly reduces differences between individuals with or without an intellectual disability (Steans & Duff, 2018).…”

“…Similarly, the general public have also been seen to hold more positive attitudes towards community reintegration of people who have committed a general (non-sexual) offence with intellectual disability than those without a diagnosis (Worthington & Rossetti, 2020). This may suggest that the presence of an intellectual disability may reduce anxiety and discomfort around community placement of a person convicted of a sex offence.…”

“…offence than those without a diagnosis (Worthington & Rossetti, 2020). However, interestingly, it has been argued that evidence of conscious cognitive planning of the offence significantly reduces differences between individuals with or without an intellectual disability (Steans & Duff, 2018).…”

“…Hypotheses 1 and 2 were based on the prior literature that indicates that those with an ID or MI may be perceived to be limited in terms of cognitive capacity and/or behavioural control, which may lead the public to attribute their behaviour to elements of their condition, but also to deem them substantially more dangerous in terms of risk (e.g., Barnett et al, 2004; Maruna & King, 2009; Worthington & Rossetti, 2020). (3) Scores on reintegration comfort would be higher for the PCSO-Cs with ID than the MI and neurotypical PCSO-Cs.…”

A quantitative analysis of gender impact in judgements of offenders with mental illnesses

“…Pre-2020, no formal advice was given to judges on how to consider OMIs (Dearden, 2020) and now that this has been established, judges have reported feeling more confident in making sure that mentally ill individuals have their rights and needs appropriately assessed while balancing and protecting the public and bringing justice for the victims (Sentencing Council, 2020). Worthington and Rossetti (2021) followed a similar method to the present study, with vignettes depicting crimes and varying the offender’s mental health, and discovered that in more recent years public perceptions of offenders with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have become more positive. They deemed that this change was due to NHS and government initiatives spreading awareness and successfully reintegrating these individuals back into society.…”