Understanding ADHD for Prison Officers

Module Overview

Aims and Learning Objectives

The content of this module is about ADHD and how we can understand and cater for it better. As an employee of the penitentiary system you will often be faced with inmates who have ADHD, and face their own challenges which those without ADHD inmates can not even imagine. Understanding this will make your job, and the lives of those inmates, easier. There is a disproportionate amount of ADHD prisoners when compared with ADHD numbers in the general population, and the ability to understand their needs and mannerisms will better enable staff to interact positively with them, meet their requirements, and work more productively with them in their prisons. The content will be structured over two lessons in order to make it as easy as possible to go through it and acquire the necessary knowledge. As a result of the time spent studying the materials provided by us you will gain knowledge in the field of ADHD awareness in prisons, which will be invaluable in your daily work in the prison system.

Target Audience & Requirements

The Understanding ADHD for Prison Officers module is useful for any employee working in the penitentiary system. It is not only aimed at employees who only work in a certain sector, or who have a well established level of experience. It should play a very important role, both professionally and personally.

Duration and estimated workload of course

Given that the content of the module will be in electronic format we estimate that no more than 1 hour is needed to go through them.

Module support

ADHD is a recognised condition, not a behaviour problem, although figures vary regarding how many people are affected. Most sources put the number at about 5% of the global population, although depending on diagnostic criteria and environmental factors, this could be higher. In school it can lead to alienation and stress. After school it can be a major contributor to unemployment and suicidal ideation. But the way that it manifests in one person will not necessarily be reflected in how it manifests in another. Often people who do not understand ADHD will look upon those with the condition as annoying, or difficult to be around. Examining how our attitudes affect the social and economic outcomes of those with ADHD can be a major step on the journey towards better communication, and prisoner rehabilitation after release.

The modules contain links to outside sources which can help people understand ADHD in a broader and deeper way.

Section Titles

What is ADHD?
Why understand ADHD?
Working with ADHD – a non-confrontational environment
ADHD from a physiological perspective
ADHD from an experiential perspective
Strategies to better help ADHD prisoners