Finalist
ADHD in the Criminal Justice System – Making the Case for Change
Summary of work
It is estimated that one in four offenders have ADHD. However, an estimated 80% of prisoners with the condition do not have a formal diagnosis. In addition to the human cost, the financial cost to the criminal justice system (CJS) of untreated ADHD is estimated at £11.7m annually. If ADHD is managed appropriately there could be a reduction in criminality of 32% in men and 41% in women.
Working with an expert group from across health and the CJS we identified opportunities in the Government’s existing work on neurodiversity to highlight the impact of ADHD on the CJS, to quantify the unmet need and develop practical solutions, which could be easily implemented by the CJS.
Through a series of roundtables, joint consultation responses, national media coverage and a workshop at the Modernising Criminal Justice conference, we made the case for policymakers to focus on ADHD as a key area for action across the CJS. Thanks to this concerted effort throughout 2022, we are now preparing for a report launch at HMP Brixton attended by multiple stakeholders, including the Prisons Minister who will offer opening remarks about our work and its alignment to the wider neurodiversity in the criminal justice agenda.
Judges’ comments
This entry from MHP and Takeda was an excellent, and very targeted submission, with a really good understanding of the challenge. It was so impressive, especially as it wasn’t a typical audience. It had clear outcomes and clear outputs in an interesting area. The judges loved that they took one group and then looked to have a wider impact. It gave an interesting insight about the number pf prisoners with ADHD. The judges could see that it has the potential for real societal benefit Look forward to, hopefully, seeing in 2024 after the event in Brixton.
