NCJ Number
203355
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 2003 Pages: 34-40
Date Published
2003
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the various challenges faced by the deaf and hearing impaired within the criminal justice system.
Abstract
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has significantly affected the way in which correctional facilities must deal with inmates who are deaf and hearing impaired. This article describes the provision of special services and accommodations for such inmates, required by the ADA. It explains that signing interpreters for religious activities, educational programs, medical consultants, parole hearing, and mental health counseling are needed by the over 10 percent to 15 percent of prison inmates with hearing losses great enough to warrant speech pathology, audiology, special education, and rehabilitation services. Key to making sure that such services reach the deaf and hearing impaired population is identifying which inmates suffer hearing losses. The diagnoses of hearing impairment and deafness are difficult to assess in offenders, and practitioners have often debated the goal of treatment for these offenders. Following a discussion of the ADA's stipulation that correctional facilities must ensure equal access to services, programs, and activities for all prison inmates, the article discusses the psychological effects of incarceration upon deaf inmates within the United States. The author indicates that the unique needs of deaf inmates should to be appreciated by both researchers and correctional facility administrators. References