Uploaded May 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
O'Rourke, S., Austen, S., and Wakeland, E. (2021). "Deaf people within the justice system: Insights from the United Kingdom. In D. Guthmann, G. I. Lomas, D. Goff Paris, & G. A. Martin (Eds.), DEAF PEOPLE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (pp. 115-130). Gallaudet University Press. https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/Books/D/Deaf-People-in-the-Criminal-Justice-System
This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter author.
Transcript:
Chapter 6, “Deaf People Within the Justice System: Insights From the United Kingdom”, Susan O’Rourke, Sally Austen, and Elizabeth Wakeland
Based in the United Kingdom, Dr. Sue O’Rourke is a consultant clinical psychologist who has worked mainly in deaf forensic services and provides psychological reports to the courts in a variety of cases involving deaf people. Dr. Sally Austen is a consultant clinical psychologist, who works with sign language users who have severe and enduring mental health problems or cognitive impairment. Dr. Elizabeth Wakeland is a clinical and forensic psychologist who has previously worked within deaf services, including forensic services, with sign language users who have enduring mental health problems.
In this chapter, the authors review the literature around deaf people within the Criminal Justice System. They consider the prevalence of offending behaviors within people from deaf communities and both risk and protective factors that may apply.
The authors also explore at length how the Appraisal Model of Behavior is a useful tool from which to think about the bio-psycho-social factors that may influence a deaf person’s offending behavior. In this chapter, we also focus on the journey that deaf offenders make from arrest through the court and then prison services.
Within the chapter, the authors highlight how the lack of understanding at all levels of service provision can have a negative impact in terms of discriminatory practice.
Finally, they consider desistance and how the generic research may or may not be applicable to the deaf community. The authors highlight how the lack of access and discrimination needs to be addressed in order to improve the system for deaf people.
O'Rourke, S., Austen, S., and Wakeland, E. (2021). "Deaf people within the justice system: Insights from the United Kingdom. In D. Guthmann, G. I. Lomas, D. Goff Paris, & G. A. Martin (Eds.), DEAF PEOPLE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (pp. 115-130). Gallaudet University Press. https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/Books/D/Deaf-People-in-the-Criminal-Justice-System
This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter author.
Transcript:
Chapter 6, “Deaf People Within the Justice System: Insights From the United Kingdom”, Susan O’Rourke, Sally Austen, and Elizabeth Wakeland
Based in the United Kingdom, Dr. Sue O’Rourke is a consultant clinical psychologist who has worked mainly in deaf forensic services and provides psychological reports to the courts in a variety of cases involving deaf people. Dr. Sally Austen is a consultant clinical psychologist, who works with sign language users who have severe and enduring mental health problems or cognitive impairment. Dr. Elizabeth Wakeland is a clinical and forensic psychologist who has previously worked within deaf services, including forensic services, with sign language users who have enduring mental health problems.
In this chapter, the authors review the literature around deaf people within the Criminal Justice System. They consider the prevalence of offending behaviors within people from deaf communities and both risk and protective factors that may apply.
The authors also explore at length how the Appraisal Model of Behavior is a useful tool from which to think about the bio-psycho-social factors that may influence a deaf person’s offending behavior. In this chapter, we also focus on the journey that deaf offenders make from arrest through the court and then prison services.
Within the chapter, the authors highlight how the lack of understanding at all levels of service provision can have a negative impact in terms of discriminatory practice.
Finally, they consider desistance and how the generic research may or may not be applicable to the deaf community. The authors highlight how the lack of access and discrimination needs to be addressed in order to improve the system for deaf people.
