PSO 2855 - Inside Time

PSO 2855 Page 6• If a lot of written work or reading is required for CARATs group work or a drug treatmentprogramme this needs to be considered alongside the disability of those attending.• Promotional, information and course work materials should not discriminate or useunsuitable images or examples and should be available in all necessary mediums, e.g.large print, Braille etc. Course tutors should consider where course material needs tobe adapted.• Drug treatment staff should work closely with healthcare where a client suffers fromdual diagnosis (the co-existence of both mental health and substance misuseproblems).6.39 Drug Strategy Team have developed a drug treatment Diversity Toolkit, „Making EqualityReal‟, which should be available soon and will cover these issues in more detail.Transfers(See PSO 6200, PSO 0900, PSI 045/04)6.40 A prisoner with a disability should not be prevented from being recategorised andtransferring to a new establishment simply because of that disability. Not all prisons will beable to accommodate specific disabilities, but as a service we must make sure that there issuitable accommodation in the estate to accommodate all prisoners at the appropriatecategory and with access to courses and facilities in order to address their sentence planand parole recommendations. In many cases, barriers that initially seemedinsurmountable, can be overcome with a minor reasonable adjustment. It is important thatwe have considered all the options before refusing a move which would have been agreedwithout consideration of a disability.6.41 Effectively this means that the criteria for a prison should not exclude prisoners simplybecause they have declared a disability. Each case must be assessed on the needs of theindividual prisoner, as even prisoners declaring the same disability will have differing needsand ability to cope. Decisions on allocation to establishments have already beenchallenged in the courts under DDA, so prisons must be robust in their justification forrefusing a prisoner who would otherwise be considered suitable. Possible reasonableadjustments should be considered before making the final decision.Resettlement, Parole Process, HDC, ROTL(See Resettlement PSO, PSO 6000, PSO 6300, PSO 2300, PSO 6700 & PSI 31/06)6.42 It is important that prisoners with disabilities can access parole, HDC and ROTL whereappropriate. It is best practice to seek advice from and to involve outside agencies as earlyas possible and to organise access to social services benefits and visits during theIssue No. 295 Issue date 3/04/08