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The purpose of this paper is to identify and deliberate the service development needs required for the improvement of service provision for incarcerated adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in NSW, Australia.

Consultation groups were conducted to bring together n=5 key stakeholders from heath and correctional-based services in the prison system. A facilitated asynchronous e-mail-based discussion occurred amongst group members between consultation group meetings.

Two main themes were identified: detecting persons with ASD and providing appropriate care. Participants discussed current service gaps with regard to the identification of people with ASD at the point of contact with the prison service, and the difficulties associated with diagnosing prisoners with ASD. The need for effective alert systems to detect persons with ASD in custody was identified. The current absence of ASD-specific support services in prison was highlighted, and recommendations for improvement suggested.

Current health and correctional-based service provision failed to adequately support incarcerated adults with ASD. Improvements in prison-entry screening processes, alert systems and diagnostic practices are required. Multidisciplinary collaboration between prison-based and external service providers is required for the development of a model of care based on individualised case management to adequately support incarcerated adults with ASD in prison.

Given the lack of reported service provision for incarcerated adults with ASD internationally, other prison-based services are likely to experience similar service development needs and see the relevance of the recommendations made directly from the study findings.

Between July and November 2001, a health survey of New South Wales (NSW) inmates was conducted by NSW Justice Health. A cross‐sectional random sample of inmates stratified by age, gender and Aboriginality (Aboriginal people are over‐represented in the NSW inmate population) that included approximately 10% of the male and 34% of the female inmate population participated in the study (n = 914). Of those invited to participate, 83% of males and 84% of females consented. One element of the study was the use of the Hayes Ability Screening Index. Inmates identified to be at risk for intellectual disability on the screening tool were referred to a psychologist who administered the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Revised (n = 167). This paper discusses the implications of the results in terms of full scale IQ, in which 3% of men and 12.5% of women of those identified as being at risk on the screening index were identified as having an intellectual disability, and the overall cognitive profile of those tested. The implications for health education and therapy in prisons are considered.

Objective. To evaluate a health and fitness programme conducted within a New South Wales, Australia correctional facility for male inmates with a chronic illness. Design. A randomised control trial. Sample. Twenty male inmate participants with a chronic illness, two risk factors for developing a chronic illness or who were over the age of 40 years. Measurements. Pre and post programme health assessments that included resting blood pressure and heart rate, weight, body mass index, waist girth, peak flow measures, peripheral saturation of oxygen, blood glucose levels and 6 minute walk test. Intervention. A 12‐week structured exercise programme focusing on cardio respiratory endurance, strength and flexibility training. Results. Statistically significant improvements in resting heart rate and endurance were found. Conclusions. The health and fitness programme positively impacts on the health of inmates with a chronic illness. A further study with a larger sample size would be productive.

Australia, like other western nations, is experiencing a new trend within its prison population ‐ the ageing inmate. This ‘greying’ of the population presents a unique challenge for the correctional environment. Specific needs of this population may not be well met within a correctional facility due to the physical environment layout and surroundings, restricted health service access and unaccommodating facilities and programmes. This is compounded by limited visits from family and friends. This paper outlines some of the general needs of the older male inmate and the difficulties this poses for correctional and health services. Current international initiatives and programmes used to address the ageing population’s needs are briefly examined, as are the implications for Australian and international correctional and health services wishing to implement such schemes. The applicability of Government Legislation, pertaining to the standards of care in the community, to correctional aged care programmes and facilities is discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an up‐to‐date overview of Tajikistan's health system, focusing on the main factors affecting health systems development. The wider contextual environment is to be explored, focusing on political, social and economic issues. Different elements of the health system including health policy, governance, service delivery, human resources and health financing are reviewed in the light of their development over the past decade.

The paper shows that the Republic of Tajikistan is in transition. Formerly one of the most neglected republics within the USSR, the country became independent in 1990 and faced the civil conflict shortly thereafter. In the last few years there have been major public sector reforms with health reforms formally launched in the late 1990s. Little information about current Tajikistan is widely available.

The paper finds that the progress of health reforms in Tajikistan has been relatively slow compared with neighbouring Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This is largely due to the effects of civil war in the mid‐1990s and significant out‐migration of qualified experts, but it can also be attributed to an inability of central government to adequately adapt to the requirements of transition.

The paper shows that many problems are still to be overcome by the health system, ranging from operational issues related to service delivery to strategic issues such as formulating an explicit privatisation policy, reducing fragmentation of, and aligning, external aid. However, some recent developments, such as adoption of a country health reform conception, a health financing strategy, and willingness of central government to improve coordination, suggest that improvements are possible.

This paper reports results of analyses made at an all-female Gulf Arab university measuring the nature and extent of biases in students' evaluation of faculty. Comparisons are made with research reporting the nature of similar relationships in North America. Two issues are investigated: 1) What variables (if any) bias faculty evaluation results at an all-female Arab university? 2) Are biasing variables different in nature or magnitude to those reported at North America universities? Using the population of 13,300 faculty evaluation records collected over two school years at Zayed University, correlations of faculty evaluation results to nine potentially biasing factors are made. Results show biases to faculty evaluation results do exist. However, biases are small, and strikingly similar in nature to those reported at North American universities.

The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence on providing services to people with neurodevelopmental disorders in prisons, with a focus on those prisoners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Electronic databases were used to search for literature specifically on ASD in prisons. The literature was supplemented with the authors’ experiences of carrying out research on ASD in prison.

The searches only identified four articles and therefore the broader literature on people with ASD and other developmental disorders was reviewed in relation to the prison context.

The paper highlights the current limited evidence base on prisoners with autism spectrum disorders.

Lifestyle change to improve physical health is a significant challenge in secure psychiatric hospitals for women. In addition to factors that contribute to an obesogenic environments body image, self-care, self-esteem, and motivational problems compound efforts to increase physical activity and to lose weight. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Two elements of a comprehensive programme to improve physical health and mental wellbeing are discussed. The first describes the development of a unique role of self-care and body image therapists and an evaluation of the effects of treatment. The second describes initiatives to assess the environmental and therapeutic milieu contingencies that impact on physical activity and to increase engagement in exercise through motivational strategies.

Research within the current settings has resulted in a validation of the role of the self-care and body image therapist. Other evaluations have described the environmental contingencies that impact on physical activity along with strategies to increase exercise participation.

While much has to be learnt about how to translate awareness of the value of a healthy lifestyle for women into positive behaviour change the programme described represents part of a comprehensive and long term attempt to evaluate and improve the physical wellbeing of women in secure care.

Previous prevalence studies of likely autistic spectrum condition (ASC) within criminal justice settings have focussed on specialist forensic mental health settings. The purpose of this paper is to examine prevalence of autism in a general community forensic sample.

In total, 336 offenders managed by a probation office were administered with a recognised screening tool to identify likely autism (AQ-10). Screenings were scored and those above the threshold were identified, where possible further diagnostic information was sought on positive-screened cases.

In total, 4.5 per cent (15 offenders) of the caseload screened positive for autism. Descriptive demographic information such as gender, age and offence type is provided for this group. Further diagnostic information was available on eight of the cases. Three already had an autism diagnosis and further psychometric assessment indicated that a further three cases were 80 per cent likely to be diagnosable with autism.

Demographic information on the sample could not be compared with norms across the whole probation caseload due to limitation of resources for the project. No further diagnostic information was available on six offenders who screened positive for autism.

The research indicates that autism is not substantially over-represented in a large community offender sample although further research is required to identify the full degree of representation.

Different kinds of offences are observed to be committed by offenders who do exhibit autism. It would be useful for criminal justice staff to have a general knowledge about autism, also how people with autism might offend and how they might best be supervised by probation services.

This is the first study of its kind internationally to examine prevalence of autism in a general community forensic sample.

This is an invited short overview from a clinician working in a national secure inpatient setting which aims to focus on inpatient forensic services for adolescents with developmental disabilities.

The paper gives a brief overview of the needs of this population and the requirements for inpatient assessment and treatment.

This is a complex population who are referred relatively late to inpatient services, often after recurrent failings in residential services where mental disorders are commonly unrecognised. Comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment and treatment are required for this group.

This paper will be useful to a range of professionals dealing with adolescents with developmental disabilities who are engaging in offending and other high risk behaviours.