The BBC reported recently on a study in Jersey that found over a third of young offenders had some form of communication difficulty. You can read the article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-13747713

The article is the latest development in a growing body of evidence in recent years that demonstrates a strong link between young offenders and communication difficulties. Perhaps even more importantly, research is also demonstrating how speech and language therapy can educate and support young offenders, and considerably reduce the likelihood of them reoffending.

Young offenders are likely to present with a range of communication difficulties, including reduced abilities in:

• Understanding spoken language, written language and non-verbal communication or facial expression
• Listening to what is being said
• Remembering the information that is being given to them
• Expressing themselves through speaking, writing and non-verbal communication
• Expressing their feelings and emotions in an appropriate way – e.g. words instead of violence
• Relating to others in socially acceptable ways

Speech and language therapy can take the form of one-to-one or group therapy sessions, depending on the communication difficulty. Training of staff to be aware of these issues is also invaluable, as it helps staff to understand and support the client to work through their difficulties.

In 2004, Professor Karen Bryan of the University of Surrey, in partnership with the prison service and local speech and language therapists, examined the effect of speech and language therapy in young offenders institutes. The former Chief Inspector of Prisons, Lord Ramsbotham, was on the advisory group, and stated that: “I have to admit that in all the years I have been looking at prisons and the treatment of offenders, I have never found anything so capable of doing so much for so many people at so little cost as the work that speech and language therapists carry out”.

Surveys and studies at Polmont, Brinsford and Werrington Young Offenders Institutes demonstrate that the majority of the populations have some form of communication difficulty. They also found that one-to-one and group therapy for clients, and education and awareness of communication difficulties for staff, were particularly beneficial.

In April 2009, Speech and Language Therapist Juliette Gregory also provided an Evaluation of the Leeds Speech and Language Therapy Service Provision within the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme provided by the Leeds Youth Offending Team. Her results were also conclusive – that the incidence of un-diagnosed speech, language and communication difficulties amongst people who offend was high, and that speech and language therapy intervention was found to be highly effective in improving the young people’s language and social communication skills. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) also implemented the ‘Locked Up and Locked Out’ campaign to highlight these issues.

For more information about communication difficulties in young offenders, visit http://www.sentencetrouble.info

Sarah Bennington June 2011

Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services. Integrated Treatment Services is a private Speech and Language Therapy service based in Leicestershire and the East Midlands. It specialises in providing highly-skilled Speech and Language Therapists, but also associates with other therapeutic professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Arts Therapists.