House of Commons · Westminster Hall
01 July 2025 · 8 other contributors · 4,239 words
Opened by Tessa Munt Lib Dem Wells and Mendip Hills
Responding minister: Sir Nicholas Dakin
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Tessa Munt raised concerns about adhd: impact on prison rehabilitation and reoffending in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The need for a holistic approach that co-ordinates health and social care to act as a bridge between the criminal justice system and wider community services should be prioritised. The debate calls for better screening, support, and understanding of ADHD within the prison environment to improve rehabilitation and reduce reoffending rates.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
Studies suggest that up to a quarter of people in UK prisons meet the criteria for an ADHD diagnosis, while just 3% to 4% of the general population are identified as living with ADHD. The identification and management of neurodiverse individuals, including those with ADHD, is described as 'patchy, inconsistent and uncoordinated' across the criminal justice system.
Suggested that universal screening for neurodiverse conditions at primary school level could help prevent individuals from entering the criminal justice system later in life.
Noted the lack of consistent data collection on ADHD in prisons, indicating it is a widespread issue across England and Wales.
Stressed the importance of early screening for ADHD to prevent children from failing and potentially becoming offenders later in life, aligning with educational needs.
Emphasised the need for more training and resources to support prison staff equipped to deal with adult ADHD, highlighting its prevalence in Northern Ireland.
Observes that only 24% of prison staff had received some level of training about neurodiversity as of 2021, highlighting a need for better embedding of training and establishment of more neurodiversity support managers. Questions the measures in place and what will be offered for support and continuity of care for neurodiverse prisoners after release, particularly in healthcare settings. Inquires about steps taken to monitor the number and availability of neurodiversity support managers across prisons and measurements used to assess their impact. Asks for further details on plans to continue implementation of the neurodiversity action plan, including steps taken last year and when the 18-month review will be published. Discusses the ADHD taskforce's interim report on care state and highlights the need for better data to understand interactions with public services, including contact with the criminal justice system. Inquires about steps taken and future plans regarding engagement with the ADHD taskforce and wider stakeholders to address barriers and implement recommendations highlighted in its interim report. Questions whether criminal justice services should adjust how people with ADHD are managed, aiming to improve rehabilitation and reoffending outcomes based on challenges outlined in reports. Addresses the matter of women meeting criteria for ADHD in prisons, noting that ADHD is often misdiagnosed or missed in women due to symptom masking and late diagnosis issues.
Confirmed that data on prisoners with ADHD is not held centrally by NHS England and provided statistics about prisoners who took initial assessments via the prison education service.
Asked if the new needs assessment tool will be used for every entrant to the prison estate.
Highlighted the issue of prisoners leaving with only one week’s worth of medication and difficulties re-entering healthcare systems post-release, advocating for a coordinated health and social care approach.
Government Response
Sir Nicholas DakinThe Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
The Minister thanked Members for their contributions and highlighted the prevalence of neurodiversity in prisons, noting that around half of prisoners have some kind of neurodivergent need. He outlined current measures such as guidance and training for probation staff to understand ADHD and commissioned neurodiversity specialists in five regions. Additionally, he mentioned neurodiversity support managers in all public prisons who improve processes to identify and support prisoners with neurodivergent needs, provide training for prison staff, and ensure reasonable adjustments are made to the prison environment. The Minister also announced a final update to the cross-Government neurodiversity action plan later in the year, aiming to further improve outcomes for neurodivergent people. Announced progress in supporting neurodiverse individuals within youth custody, including the procurement of a new needs assessment tool and highlighted work on women's justice issues.