We are jailing people with intellectual disabilities instead of helping them

Ireland has formally committed to protecting and promoting the rights of people with disabilities, but is failing, especially for those who are in prison

Cork Prison: People with intellectual disabilities are over-represented in prison, and there is growing concern about trans-institutionalisation — that prisons essentially function as institutions in which to 'manage' people with intellectual disabilities. Picture: Larry Cummins

Imagine you have been arrested and are presented with a document you cannot read or understand. You are in unfamiliar surroundings. You don’t have anyone you know who can speak up for you. The next day, you are in a crowded, noisy courthouse and find it confusing. You want to say your piece, but cannot find the words in the short time available.

Later that day, you find yourself in prison — a space where you can't control how bright it is, how noisy it is, or how it smells. You are in a small space with other people, maybe on a mattress on the floor in a cell that also has a toilet.