Working With Adults with Communication Difficulties in the Criminal Justice System

"Throughout my parliamentary career, I have been involved with important work relating to health and social care and justice. One of the most important pieces of work was to conduct an extensive review of people with mental health problems or learning disabilities in the criminal justice system which was published in 2009. My review found that people with learning disabilities and mental health problems were grossly over-represented in the criminal justice system, and many found it very difficult to understand what was happening to them and to cope with court processes and custodial environments. I have also had the pleasure of being Vice Chair to the All Party Parliamentary Group that considers Speech and Language Difficulties. So I was delighted to be asked to review this book, which discusses the provision of speech and language therapy for adults in the criminal justice system.

The work provides the evidence base for speech, language and communication intervention in the criminal justice system, as well as practical activities and useful resources that would help a clinician to assess and treat communication needs in these client groups.

This book should be recommended reading for anyone who would like to understand why communication impairment is a huge issue within the criminal justice system, including politicians and policy makers. The book explains how communication difficulties and needs link to mental health and learning disability. Indeed, it seems to be vital that every professional working in the UK criminal justice sector reads this book so that vulnerable people in the system are understood, are appropriately referred to a specialist speech and language therapy service, and are offered intervention to prevent adverse life outcomes. I offer my recommendation that this book may be the mainstay text that the world of criminal justice has been waiting for." - Lord Bradley, Member of the House of Lords

"Working with Adults in the Criminal Justice System fills a significant gap in the market, and will be of interest to anyone working in the criminal justice system, and anyone seeking to learn more about communication needs and how they may be supported. Although the background information on the justice system itself is focused on the UK, the information about how communication needs may present, the role of a speech and language therapist in meeting those needs, and various intervention frameworks and strategies are of relevance and value across other jurisdictions. Similarly, much of the information is just as relevant to those working with young people in the justice system as those working with adults. The case examples bring the information to life, and the photocopiable resources will undoubtedly save everyone a lot of time!" –Mary Woodward, Senior Speech Pathologist with extensive experience in the English and Australian criminal justice systems

'This book is incredible. I’ve used it for a narrative intervention with a young man, it is an SLT bible as far as I’m concerned.’ –Christian Boakye, Highly Specialist SLT working in London Prisons