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SPECIAL POPULATIONS: Prison Populations - 2002 Edition
Studies of the relationship between communication
disorders and delinquency, violence, and incarceration
date to the 1920s. In the ensuing years, a limited
number of investigators continued to explore this
relationship and generally found a high level of speech,
language, and hearing impairments, as well as learning
disorders, present in the juvenile detention and state
prison populations (1).
The relative lack of attention to this topic may have
several causes, including lack of awareness of the
fundamental importance of adequate communication skills,
general societal disinterest in the welfare of
incarcerated persons, and a paucity of funding sources
for further research (2).
GENERAL DEMOGRAPHICS
Although representing a small proportion of the general
U.S. population, individuals incarcerated in
correctional institutions represent a neglected group
with respect to receiving speech, language, and hearing
services (3).
Some relationships have been implied between the
presence of communication disorders and such other
variables as I.Q. and cultural or economic deprivation
in the prison population (4).
Prevalence data on specific communication disorders
varies widely within available sample studies. One
factor that may be contributing to this variation is
limited diagnostic capability of the screening measures.
For example, different criteria for defining an
impairment and differences in conducting screenings may
have contributed to the variability (4).
Although the reported incidence of speech, language, and
hearing impairments among adult male prisoners is
significantly higher than that for the general
population, research concerning the occurrence of
communication disorders among female prison inmates has
not been published (5).
SPEECH/LANGUAGE/VOICE DISORDERS
While few studies have investigated the language
abilities in prison populations, one study suggests that
the incidence of deficient language skills is
considerably greater in that population than in
noninstitutionalized adult groups. The results of this
study indicate a considerable potential deficiency of
receptive vocabulary skills (6).
According to one study, the incidence of language and
communication problems among female juvenile delinquents
is approximately three times the figures cited for
adolescents in the general population (12).
A high prevalence rate of voice disorders among offender
populations has been reported in the literature (7).
This may be attributed, in part, to the interaction of a
variety of factors, such as chronic upper respiratory
infection, allergy, smoking, and substance abuse (8).
A typical vocal pattern noted in studies of the prison
population include excessive breathiness, perceived
lowered pitch, excessive vocal tension, throat clearing,
and coughing. Of individuals identified with abnormal
vocal quality in one study, 65.5% were noted to have
physical characteristics of vocal abuse (e.g., edema,
inflammation, nodules, or polyps) (4, 7).
LEARNING DISABILITIES
The relationship between learning disability and
juvenile delinquency has been more closely examined than
that between communication disorders and violence.
However, learning disabilities and communication
disorders are closely intertwined; thus the numerous
studies of learning disability in juveniles are
pertinent to communication disorders. Many individuals
diagnosed with learning disabilities have one or more
communication disorders (2).
Several studies have demonstrated that more than
one-half of young institutionalized individuals have
serious difficulties with written language (13).
For the 1996-97 school year, 45% of students in
correctional facilities were reported to have a specific
learning disability (10).
HEARING DISORDERS
The majority of studies report the incidence of hearing
loss in prisoners to be approximately 30% (2). Editor
note: This represents a rate more than 3 times the rate
of the age- and gender-matched non-incarcerated
population.
Variability in reported incidence ranges may be
attributed to the limited nature of screening measures
and different assessment criteria used in various
studies. Other factors may include testing environment,
sensory distraction, ambient noise, and hearing
screening levels (8).
The type and degree of hearing loss found in prison
populations is diverse, with middle ear abnormalities
yielding the highest incidence, followed by sensory and
nonorganic hearing loss (8).
One explanation for the high incidence of hearing loss
among inmates is that early loss can cause poor language
skills, frustration, academic problems, and inadequate
social skills. These in turn may lead to school drop
out, juvenile delinquency, and eventual adult criminal
behavior (11).
Future research designs for further study of hearing
disorders in offender populations might address various
subgroups within the populations (e.g., juveniles,
females, federal penitentiary inmates) in order to
specify the nature and etiologies of hearing problems in
the prison population and the contribution of hearing
loss to offender behavior and substance abuse (9).
REFERENCES
1. ASHA. (1973). Task force on speech pathology and
audiology service needs in prisons. Unpublished
technical report. 2. Zingeser, L. (1995, July).
Communication disorders and violence (Technical
information packet, item #0111978). Rockville, MD:
American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 3. U.S.
Bureau of the Census. (1997). Statistical abstract of
the United States: 1997 (117th ed). Washington, DC:
Government Printing Office. 4. Sample, M.H., Montague,
J.C., & Buffalo, M.D. (1989). Variables related to
communicative disorders in an adult prison sample.
Journal of Criminal Justice, 17, 457-470. 5. Wagner,
C.O., Gray, L.L., & Potter, R.E. (1983). Communicative
disorders in a group of adult female offenders. Journal
of Communication Disorders, 16, 269-277. 6. Bountress,
N., & Richards, J. (1979). Speech, language, and hearing
disorders in an adult penal institution. Journal of
Speech and Hearing Disorders, 44, 293-300. 7. Crowe, T.A.,
Walton, J.H., & Burnett, W.J. (1990). Voice disorders in
a state penitentiary. Corrective and Social Psychiatry
and Journal of Behavior Technology, 36, 8-12. 8.
Jacobson, C.A., Jacobson, J.T., & Crowe, T.A. (1989).
Hearing loss in prison inmates. Ear and Hearing, 10,
178-183. 9. Wylde, M.A., Crowe, T.A., Walton, J.H., &
Burnett, W.J. (1989). Hearing disorders in a state
penitentiary. Corrective and Social Psychiatry and
Journal of Behavior Technology, 35, 65-68. 10. U.S.
Department of Education. (1999). To assure the free
appropriate public education of all Americans:
Twenty-first annual report to Congress on the
implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act. (Retrieved 5-4-00 from http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/OSEP99AnlRpt.html).
11. Zingeser, L. (1999, Sept./Oct.). Communication
disorders and violence. Hearing Health, 15(5), 26-30.
12. Sanger, D.D., & Decker, T.N. (1999, Sept./Oct.).
Communication behaviors of female juvenile delinquents:
Has auditory sensitivity been overlooked? Hearing Health
15(5), 30. 13. Svenson, I., Lundberg, I., & Jacobson, C.
(2001). The prevalence of reading and spelling
difficulties among inmates of institutions for
compulsory care of juvenile delinquents. Dyslexia, 7,
72-76.
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Compiled by Andrea Castrogiovanni * Research Resources
and Advocacy * ASHA * 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville MD
20852 * 301-897-5700*acastrogiovanni@asha.org |
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