Understanding the Experience of Individuals with Autism in the Prison and Prison Staffs Understanding and Knowledge of Autism Developing a Toolkit for Prison Staff to Increase Identification, Recognition and Understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder within the Prison Environment Dr Toni Wood a.wood2@salford.ac.uk @ToniWood3 Dr Clare Allely c.s.allely@salford.ac.uk @clareallely

Understanding the Experience of Individuals with Autism in the Prison and Prison Staffs Understanding and Knowledge of Autism

Her Majesty’s Young Offenders Institute (HMYOI) Feltham HMYOI Feltham is the first prison or young offender institution in the country to be awarded Autism Accreditation. Her Majesty’s Young Offenders Institute (HMYOI) Feltham has been working with The National Autistic Society (NAS) for over two years to improve the way they support offenders with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are in custody. The aim of Accreditation is to improve autism practice across all areas of prison life, including: admission, prison staff training, behaviour management and the physical environment, with the long term aim of tackling issues often faced by prisoners with ASD and ultimately reducing the risk of recidivism in this group. Clare Hughes goes on to highlight a number of important issues: “Autistic people can end up in the prison system, just like anyone else. But their experience is often more traumatic because their additional needs aren’t recognised and met. This pilot has made clear that improved understanding of autism among prison staff, simple adjustments and better support can address many of these issues and improve prison life for prisoners and staff alike” (http://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/media-centre/news/2016-02- 25-first-autism-accredited-prison.aspx).   However, despite prison interest and some prisons being involved with pilot work within the United Kingdom, Feltham remains the only prison in the UK to have Autism Accreditation. Given that there are a number of studies suggesting that the prevalence of ASD is higher in the prison population when compared to the general population (e.g., Scragg & Shah, 1994), it highlights the urgent need for more prisons to gain Autism Accreditation and for further research to gain more of an understanding the specific needs of inmates with ASD and prison staffs’ knowledge of the disorder.

Deaths in Custody: Recognising the Real World Impact

Project objectives To explore the knowledge and understanding of ASD in prison staff. To explore the experience of the prison environment in prisoners with ASD. To derive knowledge which will contribute towards 'Developing a Toolkit for Prison Staff to Increase Identification, Recognition and Understanding of ASD within the Prison Environment'. To evaluate the effectiveness and utility of the Toolkit developed at Stage 3. To derive knowledge which will contribute towards career professional development events for prison staff about ASDs and how the behaviour symptomology of ASD may be exhibited within the context of the prison environment. To increase awareness and support for the Autism Accreditation system for prisons across the UK. The proposed project will contribute significantly to academic knowledge in four key ways. First, it will contribute to the sparse literature on prison staffs’ knowledge and understanding of autism spectrum disorder. Second, the proposed study will also contribute to the relatively little research which has been conducted exploring the experience of prison in individuals with ASD. Specifically, there is a significant lack of empirical research investigating the experiences of individuals with ASD in the prison environment and prison staffs’ knowledge and understanding of the disorder. Third, our aim is that the findings from this project, and the development of the toolkit, will help inform appropriate and effective provisions, interventions and support for individuals with ASD in prison. Additionally, to increase awareness and identification of individuals with ASD in the prison environment (McCarthy, Chaplin, Underwood, Forrester, Hayward et al., 2015a; Underwood, McCarthy, Chaplin, Forrester, Mills, & Murphy, 2016). Fourth, our study has the potential to highlight the unmet and additional needs of inmates with ASD, therefore, supporting the need for more prisons in the UK to gain Autism Accreditation (in line with the aims of the National Autistic Society (NAS) who support our project).

Stage 1: The Questionnaire: Prison Staff and Prisoners with ASD Prison Staff Questionnaire (Items 36) Informed by previous published medical studies questionnaires (McAdam, 2009; Arnold & Liebling, 2011). Arnold and Liebling (2004) developed The ‘MQPL’ (Measuring the Quality of Prison Life) survey is a ‘tick box questionnaire’ for prisoners designed and refined over several research projects aimed at improving our understanding of prison life and its effects. Prisoners Questionnaire (Item 35) Modified, shortened version of the MEASURING THE QUALITY OF PRISON LIFE PRISONER QUESTIONNAIRE (MQPL) – Part 1 and 2. *Note: We had a small steering group which examined the suitability and quality of the questionnaires that we designed including a governor of a prison in the North West of England and Clare Hughes (Criminal Justice Manager at the National Autistic Society). We took on board all feedback received and made suggested changes. “In your opinion do you think that individuals with an autism spectrum condition within the prison would benefit from being managed in a different way to other patient groups?”, “Do you feel that you have adequate skills/knowledge to work with the difficulties and needs of those individuals with an autism spectrum condition?” and “Would you like more training on autism spectrum conditions?”.

Stage 2: Interviews: Prison Staff and Prisoners with ASD Building on the information gained from the questionnaires we would be seeking to interview a minimum of 10 prison staff & a minimum of 10 prisoners. We will be conducting analysis of the data gathered from the semi-structured interviews with prison staff and prisoners with ASD based on thematic analysis.

Primarily based on the information derived from Stage 1 and 2. Stage 3: 'Developing a Toolkit for Prison Staff to Increase Identification, Recognition and Understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder within the Prison Environment' Primarily based on the information derived from Stage 1 and 2. Case studies (examples)

Stage 4: Evaluation of the Toolkit developed at Stage 3 Evaluating the usefulness of the Toolkit following its publication & use within the prisons for a minimum of 6 months. We would develop a short questionnaire seeking the opinions of the perceived useful of the toolkit & any suggestions for improvements. Feedback on the findings from Stage 4 will be delivered in a manner which the prison feels would be most beneficial. We would be aiming to get these views of the Toolkit from everybody who adopted it. Feedback on the findings from Stage 4 will be delivered in a manner which the prison feels would be most beneficial. This could take the form of a written summary report, a presentation or an informal meeting/gathering.

Developing Existing Partnerships Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre The Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre is gathering prominent clinical researchers from the fields of neuropsychiatry, neurodevelopment and eating disorders for the formation of a new centre within the Sahlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg.

Developing New Partnerships National Autistic Society Clare Hughes - Criminal Justice Manager Further research building on this existing project

AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN THE COURTROOM Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Courtroom AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN THE COURTROOM

The Advocate’s Gateway Consider this impact of our research across the whole of the criminal justice process Professor Penny Cooper Development of Toolkit for Justice Professionals

Informing New Policy Rt. Hon. Lord Keith Bradley

Dr Clare Allely and Dr Toni Wood http://www.autismandcjs.org.uk/ http://www.keyring.org/cjs-easyreadexamples Dr Clare Allely and Dr Toni Wood