A pilot evaluation of using symbol-based information in police custody
A pilot evaluation of using symbol-based information in police custody
At least 20-30% of offenders within the Criminal Justice System (CJS) have learning disabilities or difficulties. This creates significant challenges in relation to meeting their information needs about rights, entitlements, processes and procedures. We report a pilot project where Widgit Symbols were used to create more accessible information about rights and entitlements for people entering custody. The Widgit Symbol custody sheets were used in two Hampshire Constabulary custody centres for a 4-week period and feedback gathered from 14 custody officers and inspectors. The views of 27 other important stakeholders, including young people with autism and their families, Appropriate Adults, and senior personnel within the CJS, were gathered about the sheets through interviews and focus groups. The reaction to the sheets was overwhelmingly positive with many participants suggesting that symbol-based information in custody could be rolled out nationally, and also extended more widely to include other parts of the CJS.
213-224
Parsons, Sarah
5af3382f-cda3-489c-a336-9604f3c04d7d
Sherwood, Gina
ac6af7f7-9e8a-4937-af72-738375a94bc0
September 2016
Parsons, Sarah
5af3382f-cda3-489c-a336-9604f3c04d7d
Sherwood, Gina
ac6af7f7-9e8a-4937-af72-738375a94bc0
Parsons, Sarah and Sherwood, Gina
(2016)
A pilot evaluation of using symbol-based information in police custody.
British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44 (3), .
(doi:10.1111/bld.12140).
Abstract
At least 20-30% of offenders within the Criminal Justice System (CJS) have learning disabilities or difficulties. This creates significant challenges in relation to meeting their information needs about rights, entitlements, processes and procedures. We report a pilot project where Widgit Symbols were used to create more accessible information about rights and entitlements for people entering custody. The Widgit Symbol custody sheets were used in two Hampshire Constabulary custody centres for a 4-week period and feedback gathered from 14 custody officers and inspectors. The views of 27 other important stakeholders, including young people with autism and their families, Appropriate Adults, and senior personnel within the CJS, were gathered about the sheets through interviews and focus groups. The reaction to the sheets was overwhelmingly positive with many participants suggesting that symbol-based information in custody could be rolled out nationally, and also extended more widely to include other parts of the CJS.
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Widgit symbols in police custody ACCEPTED 15th June 2015.pdf
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Accepted/In Press date: 15 June 2015
e-pub ahead of print date: 16 July 2015
Published date: September 2016
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 378028
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/378028
ISSN: 1354-4187
PURE UUID: 58f50cae-e08a-43af-ab4e-279149e3053b
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Date deposited: 25 Jun 2015 13:28
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:38
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Author:
Gina Sherwood
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