The Hidden Harms of Prison Life for People with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

People with learning disabilities’ experiences of punishment and prison life remain invisible within prison policy and research. With participants’ voices central, this paper makes visible the hidden harms experienced by a hidden population, exposing the multi-faceted and nested forms of harm that people with learning disabilities encounter while in prison as a result of direct and indirect discrimination. It highlights the ways in which they navigate prison life and respond to structural and inaccessible barriers that adversely impact their understanding of their sentence, access to services, and ontological security. By drawing together conceptual and methodological insights from disability studies and prison sociology, I offer new insights into the distinct yet challenging aspects of prison life for people with learning disabilities.

Where specialist and mainstream service systems collide: The National Disability Insurance Scheme in prisons

“…in relation to mental health), coordination/interface issues, and transition issues in the broader criminal justice system have long been documented (Bullock & Bunce, 2020;Dowse et al, 2009;Forrester et al, 2018;Human Rights Watch, 2018). Interviewees in our research generally agreed that services for incarcerated people with disability were far from being able to meet their needs, and that peer support often filled some of those gaps-a practice that Gormley (2022) argues can force people with disability into risky power relations with their peers. The criminal justice system needs significant reform to prevent the unjust incarceration and further disabling of people with mental health and intellectual disabilities (Dowse et al, 2009).…”

“…While these findings from exploratory research constitute a valuable first step, this must be complemented in future by the voices of people with disability as they navigate the criminal justice system. As Gormley (2022) argues, there is currently limited academic research that makes central the voices of people with disability, thereby leading to misconceptions about their experiences with various aspects of the justice system.…”

“Most people don’t like a client group that tell you to get fucked”: Choice and control in Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme for formerly incarcerated people

“…While these findings provide a valuable contribution to knowledge in this area, future research must incorporate the lived experience of people with disability as they navigate the criminal justice system. As Gormley (2022) argues, there is currently limited academic research that centres the voices of people with disability, thereby leading to misconceptions about their experiences within the justice system.…”

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

“…Although the exact prevalence of people in prison 1 with disability is difficult to establish, researchers agree this cohort is overrepresented, both in Australia and internationally (Baldry, 2015; Hellenbach et al, 2017; Jackson et al, 2011). Despite representing a significant proportion of the prison population, a lack of research on people in prison with disability means they remain an under-explored group (Thorneycroft and Asquith, 2021), with little known about their experience of imprisonment or the specific challenges they face (Gormley, 2021). International research suggests people in prison with disability can be disadvantaged by poor identification or recognition of their disability, inaccessible information provision and insufficient adjustments or daily living supports (Gormley and Watson, 2021; Irish Penal Reform Trust, 2020).…”

“…International research suggests people in prison with disability can be disadvantaged by poor identification or recognition of their disability, inaccessible information provision and insufficient adjustments or daily living supports (Gormley and Watson, 2021; Irish Penal Reform Trust, 2020). They may also be subjected to various forms of harm in prison that result in their oppression, exclusion, and increased risk of victimisation or abuse (Gormley, 2021).…”