100 ADMISSIONS TO A REGIONAL SECURE UNIT FOR PEOPLE WITH A LEARNING-DISABILITY

Information was collected about 100 successive admissions to a regiona l secure unit for people with a learning disability (mental handicap). Most of the patients were males under the age of 30, with a mild or b orderline learning disability. A majority also had a psychiatric disor der. The most common offences committed were sexual, arson and assault . After discharge, most patients returned either to the community or t o a mental handicap hospital. A comparison of the first cohort of 50 a dmissions with the second cohort of 50 admissions showed that the unit had changed its admission policy and had increasingly admitted those with a mild or moderate learning disability referred by the courts. In addition, the average length of stay had doubled, and the number of a dmissions each year had halved. This reflects a lack of local faciliti es which can provide intensive supervision.