Deaf people with mental health needs in the criminal justice system: a review of the UK literature

In this paper the term Deaf is used of a group of people who use sign langu age, who come into contact with the criminal justice system in the UK, and for whom mental health needs are associated with their offending behaviour. It critically reviews the existing literature regarding evidence of the pr evalence and characteristics of this group drawing on a range of contexts: prisons, high-security services, specialist mental health services, and the police and courts. Particular attention is paid to the relationship betwee n deafness, sign language use, mental disorder and unfitness to plead. Also , consideration is given to the extent to which a limited range of linguist ically appropriate disposals for Deaf mentally disordered offenders may acc ount for their twelve-times-higher prevalence in the high-security populati on than in the general population. Finally, the clinical characteristics of this population are discussed in relation to a range of psyche-social cons equences of Deafness and sign language use in the UK today.