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Deaf justiceNicky's story Being in prison is no joke for anyone, despite the impression sometimes given in parts of the press. But it's worse if you're deaf, like Nicky in Rush. That doesn't sound fair, but it's true. Communication problems may mean you're not sure what you're supposed to be doing and when, so you get into trouble. You can't phone anyone, because there's no textphone, and you feel frightened and isolated because there are no visual fire alarms, you've made no friends and you can't explain to the doctor what's wrong if you feel ill. Nicky's storyWe talked to a deaf prisoner, Nicky Dunn (no relation to Rush's Nicky!), about what it's like. 'When I first got here I was down and depressed,' Nicky says. 'No one would talk to me... People talk to each other and I watch them and I try to talk to them, to be friends. But they're not interested. They don't want to know.' Luckily for Nicky, his hearing brother Richard is also an inmate at the prison. 'When he first got here, there was nobody who could communicate with Nicky,' Richard told VEE-TV. 'People didn't have a clue how – right through from the people on reception to the people on the wing.' Most prisoners look forward to communicating with their loved ones on the outside, but for Nicky it's difficult. 'He's not able to make telephone calls,' Richard says. 'If he needs to get a message to the outside, I'll do it for him. If I wasn't here, it would be difficult for him to do. Maybe an officer would do it for him, but if it was a personal thing – there are a few personal things in prison – that would be difficult for him as well.' The Deaf Prisoners' ProjectHeather Gerrard works for the Birmingham Institute for the Deaf (BID) on its Deaf Prisoners Project, which is also sponsored by the British Deaf Association and the West Midlands Probation Service. The project interviewed 36 deaf prisoners in jails in England and Wales. 'When we met a lot of deaf prisoners, we found that they were isolated,' Heather says. 'They don't have communication with prison officers or access to education, rehabilitation or training, and few are allowed to work.' The BID report found 'a catalogue of appalling abuses suffered by deaf prisoners: from bullying and isolation to inadequate medical treatment and unfair denials of parole'. One deaf prisoner interviewed for the project explained why his application for parole was turned down: 'I was not granted parole as the board said I had not been on any training courses and therefore was classed as not wanting to change. I tried to explain through an unsuitable interpreter that I wanted to go on training courses, but there were no provisions for me to access them. This resulted in me having to serve a full prison sentence.' Communication can also be a major problem on a day-to-day basis. 'Prison officers should be aware of who is in their wing, especially a deaf person,' another deaf prisoner told the project. 'I cannot remember the amount of times I have missed gym, education, medical services and hot-water time.' The way forwardThe BDA is calling for urgent changes, such as the provision of textphones and sign-language interpreters. It also advocates deaf- awareness training for governors, prison officers and probation workers. And the Deaf Prisoners Project aims to recruit and train a team of deaf volunteers to help prisoners with communication. But what about having a special deaf prison, so that communication problems wouldn't arise? Steve Turner, the governor of Nicky's prison, Woodhill, rejects the idea. 'I totally disagree with that,' he told VEE-TV. 'He wants to be treated the same as anybody else.' Jo Barber, a spokeswoman for the BDA, points out that any benefit from special facilities needs to be weighed against the benefits of keeping deaf prisoners near their friends and families. 'There may be a case for prison facilities which can cater for deaf prisoners,' she told us, 'but this would need to be balanced with deaf prisoners being within travelling distance for visitors. Visitors are often a deaf prisoner's only link with the outside world.' The Deaf Prisoners Project report suggests that deaf prisoners are serving a 'double sentence' because of the lack of facilities. Again, Steve Turner disagrees: 'I don't think he serves a double sentence. He serves his sentence with some difficulty, but we've got very good staff here who have made life a lot easier for Nicky and are aware of his problems and are working for him.' Nicky's brother Richard agrees that Nicky's life at Woodhill has improved. 'A lot of the problems Nicky had when he first came here are being addressed,' he says, 'and it's easier for him now than it was. It's almost par with a normal inmate for him because of the facilities that are being provided.' Educating the policeBut the problem isn't only limited to prisons. The BID is also worried about other aspects of the legal process, including the difficulties deaf people have in communicating with the police. We spoke to Colin Singh and Jude Mahon, who were arrested during the BSL march in Wolverhampton for blocking the road. Jude is hearing and was allowed to stay upstairs at the police station and talk to the officers, while the other deaf people were put in separate cells downstairs because the police couldn't communicate with them. 'They should have a few police officers who can sign fluently,' Jude
says. If you've had a run-in with the law, know a deaf prisoner or just have something to say on the subject, get it off your chest and onto our message board now. Help and infoOrganisations British Deaf Association (BDA) British Deaf Association Health and Counselling Services Disability Rights Commission Federation of Deaf People Law Centres Federation Royal Association for Deaf People (RAD) Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) Websites Deaf Prisoners Federation of Prison Families Support Groups Partners of Prisoners Prison Reform Trust Prisoners' Educational Trust
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