Careers of offenders with an intellectual disability: the probabilities of rearrest

BACKGROUND This paper reports results from a total population of persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Western Australia arrested for the first time since 1 April 1984. It is part of a longitudinal study that 'tracked' offenders with ID through the criminal justice system over an 11-year period to compare their experiences at each stage of the justice process with a sample of the general offending population. The research draws on an analysis of the Western Australian Police Services Apprehension records and the Disability Services Commission database. METHOD The data collected provided the opportunity to calculate base rates of the probability of rearrest of offenders with ID in comparison to mainstream offenders. RESULTS The study found that people with ID had a significantly higher rate of rearrest than general population offenders and the study canvasses some possible reasons for this finding.