Guest Blog: Neurodivergence In The Criminal Justice System - Improving lives, and reducing criminality

_{Alt text: Daley Jones, a Detective Constable in the Metropolitan Police, stands smiling in front of a banner for the ADHD Alliance. The banner includes text about ADHD challenges, such as trouble focusing, losing things, and sensory issues, with a bright and welcoming design.}

Kindly Written By IMHub Collective Member: Daley Jones 

A Detective Constable in the Metropolitan Police, who was diagnosed with combined ADHD in 2021 and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD, Dyspraxia) in 2022. He co-founded the ADHD Alliance, supporting police officers and staff with ADHD, and is dedicated to improving neurodivergent lives in policing and justice.

I have been a police officer since 2007 and have a fair amount of experience working in different teams and units, primarily dealing with safeguarding.

Something that has become wholly apparent to me is that the Criminal Justice System (CJS), and to a greater extent society as a whole, is failing people with neurodivergent conditions.

What do I mean by neurodivergent conditions?

Well, I am primarily talking about ADHD, Autism (ASD), Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia. There are, however, others, no less important or impactful. However, I can only really talk about what I know.

'Up to half the current prison population in the UK has a neurodivergent condition'

This is the official figure, but many experts within the field of neurodiversity put the figure closer to:

85%

A large proportion of these are undiagnosed.

Now, why is this important, Daley? I hear you ask.

They made their choices and have met the punishment, right?

Well yes, to a certain extent, but let me tell you a few things about ADHD.

There are certain traits of ADHD that are likely to push people towards criminality.

1

Poor impulse control

2

A need to thrill seek

3

Emotional dysregulation

Poor control over emotions, sometimes leading to quick anger

4

A "strong sense of justice"

This sounds good, but not if it means taking justice into your own hands

5

Self-medicating

I take medication for my ADHD, a strong version of an amphetamine. I’m not surprised (given its mainly positive effects) that the undiagnosed may seek this effect via illegal drugs in unmanageable quantities.

I speak about these traits as someone with ADHD and therefore someone who experiences all of the above.

Why aren’t you a hardened criminal, Daley?

I put this down to nothing more than good fortune!

I was born into a relatively affluent, white, middle-class family that was, on the whole, pretty stable. I was given the best opportunities in terms of education and support.

(Despite my frankly OBVIOUS ADHD being missed my entire life).

Now, flip that to some of the people we meet daily in our line of work...

Chaotic home lives, exposure to domestic abuse, drug-taking, alcohol abuse, and homes that are often not a nice place to grow up.

Is it any surprise that if these people have something like ADHD that isn’t treated, those traits I mentioned lead them to trouble?

Then look at what happens when those people do get into trouble.

Starting in childhood, these kids are often excluded from schooling and pushed into Pupil Referral Unit* (PRU's) -alternative schools for those facing exclusion, behavioural challenges, or other barriers to traditional education.

What they need is a system that understands how their unique brain works and the support that diagnosis brings.

_{I’ve written about the benefits of diagnosis in a separate blog. These benefits apply to all people. If you would like to read it contact IMUK and we will look to get this added to the resources within the IMHub.}

_{*This is to take nothing away from PRUs. I have met a few young adults who speak very highly of their time at a PRU. The point I am making is that we “remove” the “problem” individual from mainstream education, rather than adapting the rigid curriculum to best support their needs.}

You then look at these kids who are forced to leave their family unit and are put into the care system.

Let me tell you, there is a tremendous amount of contempt and stigma attached to kids in care.

They are being failed by all aspects of society.

It is a problem that is only getting worse!

For too long, we as police officers have seen neurodivergent conditions as an excuse for poor behaviour (I can say this, as I believed this when I was young in service).

These kids, eventually become adults, often already in the vicious cycle of the criminal justice system, without a good education or access to stable work, coping with their undiagnosed conditions in the best way they can, and living their own chaotic lives.

Policing cannot solve this issue alone.

Tackling this problem requires a collective effort from education, social services, probation, and the wider CJS. Together we can make real changes that will have a huge positive impact.

This Will Shock You!

Currently, we offer no training to our staff around neurodivergent conditions!

Surely, we want to understand why an individual might react in a certain way when we are dealing with them (often in traumatic situations)?

I would certainly like to know the best conditions for getting an account from, say, a victim of crime who has ADHD.

I think about myself and what I would like to see if I were a victim of crime...

I’d like an officer who tries to limit the amount of distractions whilst obtaining my account (radio noise, background distractions, etc.).

If I were subject to a lengthy interview, would the officers consider giving me a break to allow me to refocus?

_{(I was allowed a break in my three-hour sergeant’s exam for this very reason.)}

These are relatively minor changes that would make a massive difference to someone’s interaction with us.

Going beyond that...

Are our police stations a place comfortable for someone with a neurodivergent condition?

Is our lighting too bright?

Are we considering the time people are spending alone in a cell with nothing to occupy their mind?

I can tell you from experience, a fidget spinner for someone with ADHD is going to make them a lot calmer in their cell for the five, six, seven hours they are sat there, compared to someone who is given nothing to occupy their hyperactivity.

Could we start asking detainees:

“Do you believe you have a neurodivergent condition?”

“Would you like to fill in a questionnaire?”

You may laugh, but the universal ADHD Screening Questionnaire is only 18 questions long! 

Harvard-developed and completed by yours truly as my first step towards diagnosis.

18 questions to give someone an indication that they might have a life-changing condition that can be helped with treatment and care?!?

Treatment and care that may lead them away from offending?

Seems a worthwhile use of our time to me!

I genuinely believe that if society did more to identify, treat, and care for those with neurodivergent conditions, we would literally reduce crime.

The challenge is getting the powers that be to understand this!

What do YOU think?