“Cardboard Gangsters”; “In Crowd” and “No Control” : a case study of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the prison environment

Purpose: Prisoners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) need to be identified in order that they are given the necessary and appropriate support and safeguards. It is increasingly recognised that, for individuals with ASD, prison can be more challenging. This can be due to ASD traits which can make problems occur in everyday life. Some of these ASD traits include: obsessions, compulsions, difficulties in communicating with others. There is increasing recognition that adults with ASD who are in prison are more vulnerable to bullying, social isolation, sexual victimisation; exploitation confrontations with other prisoners. Given this, more research is warranted in this area highlighting the specific needs and challenges of individuals with ASD in the prison. Methodology: This paper is a case study of Mr C.T., a British Citizen, who is currently serving a life sentence (discretionary). Mr C.T., has spent more than 10 years in prison. At the time of completing the questionnaire for the present study, Mr C.T. was 51 years of age. Pled guilty to charges of (1) lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour; (2) making an indecent photograph contrary to s52(1)(a) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982; and (3) possession of indecent photographs contrary to s52(A)(1) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. Mr C.T. was convicted of Lewd, Indecent and Libidinous Practices and Behaviour and 2 x Civic Government (Scotland) Act, Section 52 (1) (a) and was sentenced to Life Imprisonment with a punishment part of 6 years. Findings: The case study discussed in this paper clearly raises a number of issues and concerns that urgently need attention in our criminal justice systems. Originality: There is relatively little research exploring the experiences and challenges faced by individuals with ASD. This paper will add to the existing body of research in this limited field