Exploring the autistic and police perspectives of the custody process through a participative walkthrough

Holloway, Chloe Alice; Munro, Nell; Jackson, John; Phillips, Sophie; Ropar, Danielle

Abstract

© 2019 The Authors Background: Research suggests that autistic individuals may be more likely to come into contact with police and have more negative experiences in police custody. However, limited information about the difficulties they experience during the custody process is available. Aims: This study explores the experiences of autistic individuals and officers during a walkthrough of the custody process to identify specific difficulties in these encounters and what support is needed to overcome these. Methods and procedures: A participative walkthrough method was developed to provide autistic individuals and officers an interactive opportunity to identify areas where further support in the custody process was needed. Two autistic participants and three officers took part in the study. Outcomes and results: Autistic participants reported negative experiences due to: i) the emotional impact of the physical setting and custody process ii) communication barriers leading to increased anxiety and iii) exposure to sensory demands. Officers highlighted three factors which limit their ability to support autistic individuals effectively: i) the custody context ii) barriers to communication and iii) knowledge and understanding of autism. Conclusions and implications: Adjustments are needed to the custody process and environment to support interactions between autistic individuals and officers and improve the overall wellbeing of autistic individuals.

Citation

Holloway, C. A., Munro, N., Jackson, J., Phillips, S., & Ropar, D. (2020). Exploring the autistic and police perspectives of the custody process through a participative walkthrough. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 97, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103545

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 15, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Dec 5, 2019
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Dec 12, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 12, 2019
• Journal: Research in Developmental Disabilities
• Print ISSN: 0891-4222
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-3379
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 97
• Article Number: 103545
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103545
• Keywords: Autism Spectrum Conditions; Criminal Justice System; Vulnerable detainees; Police custody; Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; Access to Justice
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3542437
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422219302124
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Exploring the autistic and police perspectives of the custody process through a participative walkthrough; Journal Title: Research in Developmental Disabilities; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103545; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.