Specific Learning Difficulties

In Prisons

By Melanie Jameson

One of my priorities at present is training prison staff to be aware of the implications of dyslexia; I always stress that this complex and variable syndrome is complicated by the fact that it often co-exists with other Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) such as Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder and Dyspraxia.

There is something about these widespread conditions that seems almost designed to get people into trouble from the earliest age:

• A child who fails to pay attention may simply be unable to remain on task  for more than 5 minutes at a time.

• Someone who is forever knocking things over and bumping into objects or people

     who may have developmental co-ordination difficulties.

• An individual who continually forgets what s/he is told is certainly asking for trouble.

• If a child appears able but produces minimal written work which is miss-spelt and almost illegible, it is seen as a lack of effort - so why bother trying?

Only the last example is typical of dyslexia; the others typify ADHD, dyspraxia or all three SpLDs.

A serious question arises: is there a direct link between SpLDs and crime? The answer is 'No'. The best way to explain it is as follows: if not properly supported, people with SpLDs

·        experience low self esteem

·        underachieve at school

·        become frustrated and alienated

·        are liable to truant and be excluded from school

·        have poor employment prospects

·        may seek alternative anti-social ways of 'achievement'

…. all of which are criminogenic factors. In addition they can be greatly disadvantaged by many aspects of the criminal justice system (Note 1).

Dyslexia has finally been taken into account in the Government's drive to improve basic skills (I am on the DfES committee that oversees this work). More importantly, contracts to supply education to prisons are up for renewal this year and in the 70+ pages of specifications is the contractor's requirement to identify, assess and support offenders with dyslexia (only). Once dyslexia 'has its foot in the door' we can press for AD(H)D and dyspraxia to be considered as well and emphasise that any process that ignores the co-existence of SpLDs will only have partial success.

A dozen or so projects have investigated the prevalence of dyslexia in the prison/probation population. Taking the lowest figure of 17.5% (Note 2) this calculates at roughly 13,000 individuals out of a prison population now pushing 75,000. I am hoping that these prison education contracts will prove to be a real opportunity to address these difficulties and give thousands of people a better chance of achieving a measure of success.

Notes

1.The revised version of Dyslexia and Stress edited by Prof T Miles, Whurr Publishers (2004) contains a chapter on how dyslexic people fare in the courts and how they are more likely to breech Community Punishment Orders (Email me at: melanie@dial.pipex.com if you are interested in a copy).