Overview of Offenders with Intellectual Disability

This chapter provides an overview of clinical practice pertaining to offenders with intellectual disability. It covers the ‘offending journey’ of people with intellectual disability whose behaviour reaches the threshold for criminal justice system involvem’nt. This includes being accused of a crime, interactions with the police, decisions regarding prosecution and the processes involved in court cases. Though much of this account is based on the law in England and Wales, the chapter also reviews key research in this area, examining the risk factors for offending, characteristics of this population, models of treatment and treatment outcomes.