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This paper seeks to offer a general review of offending and autism spectrum disorders from both the authors' perception of the media portrayal and the current evidence based research.

The authors undertook a review of the current literature relating to autism spectrum disorders and offending and commented on current media reporting to try and offer a balance.

Recent evidence suggests that there is unlikely to be an increased prevalence compared to the general population, but the presence of co‐morbidities may increase the risk of violence.

The paper offers a succinct overview of the current evidence base relating to autism spectrum disorders and offending.

This study aims to evaluate the utility and reliability of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) to investigate the criminal cognitions of mentally disordered offenders (MDOs) from the UK.

The reliability and validity of the PICTS scales were investigated within an MDO sample from the UK (N = 45) and compared to PICTS data from the USA and general offenders in the UK.

The findings showed that the PICTS functioned in a similar way when used in MDO and non-MDO populations, indicating that from a psychometric perspective, the PICTS scales produce consistent results across both populations. Evidence is further provided to indicate that MDOs from the UK endorse criminal cognitions at a similar level to those in the USA and at a significantly higher level than general UK offenders.

The implications and insight that these findings provide into the criminal cognitions of MDOs are discussed, with specific focus on the significant difference between general offenders and offenders with serious mental illness.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to use the PICTS with MDOs in the UK, comparing the criminal thinking styles of MDOs and non-MDOs.

Although most aetiological theories of crime assume that offenders are a distinct subset of the population, there is evidence that many illegal acts are committed by people who have no convictions and are therefore not regarded as criminals. The question consequently arises as to whether there are aspects of illegal actions that set convicted offenders apart. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

To answer this, a 45-item self-report questionnaire was administered to two samples (males 15-29 years): 185 prisoners and 80 young men without convictions.

The results draw attention to a distinguishing psychological dimension of instrumentality operating across the range of offence forms. Convicted offenders are more likely to commit crimes for direct gratification with intent when compared with the sorts of illegal activities that non-convicted respondents report they have done.

Careful matching of convicted criminals and those without convictions is extremely difficult. Future research that explores other non-criminal samples would therefore be of value.

Interventions with people who commit crimes need to carefully distinguish between those who are determined criminals and those whose activities are more likely to be part of an opportunistic culture.

The results challenge conceptualisation of criminals and criminality as something always distinct from those without convictions. It thus has implications for what theories of crime should seek to explain. The significance of instrumentality also give further force to the legal emphasis on men's area.

Although intellectual disability (ID) and criminal offending have long been associated, the nature of this link is obfuscated by reliance on historically unrigorous means of assessing ID and fractionating social cognitive skills. The purpose of this paper is to review and report current findings and set an agenda for future research in social perception, social inference and social problem solving in ID violent offenders.

The literature is reviewed on comorbidity of criminal offending and ID, and on social cognitive impairment and ID offending. In an exploratory case-control series comprising six violent offenders with ID and five similarly able controls, emotion recognition and social inference are assessed by the Awareness of Social Inference Test and social problem-solving ability and style by an adapted Social Problem-Solving Inventory.

Violent offenders recognised all emotions except “anxious”. Further, while offenders could interpret and integrate wider contextual cues, absent such cues offenders were less able to use paralinguistic cues (e.g. emotional tone) to infer speakers’ feelings. Offenders in this sample exceeded controls’ social problem-solving scores.

This paper confirms that ID offenders, like neurotypical offenders, display specific deficits in emotion recognition – particularly fear recognition – but suggests that in ID offenders impairments of affect perception are not necessarily accompanied by impaired social problem solving. The implication for therapeutic practice is that ID offenders might be most effectively rehabilitated by targeting simpler, low-level cognitive processes, such as fear perception, rather than adapting treatment strategies from mainstream offenders.

Organised Crime is notoriously difficult to identify and measure, resulting in limited empirical evidence to inform policy makers and practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to explore the feasibility of identifying a greater number of organised crime offenders, currently captured but invisible, within existing national general crime databases.

All 2.1 million recorded offenders, captured over a four-year period on the UK Police National Computer, were filtered across three criteria associated with organised crime (co-offending, commission of specific offences, three years imprisonment or more). The 4,109 “organized crime” offenders, identified by the process, were compared with “general” and “serious” offender control groups across a variety of personal and demographic variables.

Organised crime prosecutions are not random but concentrate in specific geographic areas and constitute 0.2 per cent of the offender population. Offenders can be differentiated from general crime offenders on such measures as: diversity of nationality and ethnicity, onset age, offence type and criminal recidivism.

Using an offence-based methodology, rather than relying on offenders identified through police proactive investigations, can provide empirical information from existing data sets, across a diverse range of legislative areas and cultures. This allows academics to enhance their analysis of organised crime, generating richer evidence on which policy makers and practitioners can more effectively deliver preventative and disruptive tactics.

This is the first time an “offence based” methodology has been used to differentiate organised crime offenders from other offenders in a general crime database.

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.

People with Asperger syndrome are at increased risk of co‐morbid mental health problems. The core features underlying autism are likely to play an important role in offending behaviour amongst this population. Forensic rehabilitation includes a multidisciplinary approach and combination of therapeutic interventions. However there is limited evidence in the literature of what constitutes effective treatment within this setting, and how the process of rehabilitation is experienced by patients. The purpose of this paper is to describe a case of Asperger syndrome with co‐morbid psychosis and offending behaviour and the process of forensic rehabilitation.

The authors briefly review the literature related to Asperger syndrome, offending in this population and co‐morbidity. The authors then describe and reflect on a case of a young man with Asperger syndrome, sexual offending and the process of forensic rehabilitation, and offer an insight from the patient's perspective.

Co‐morbid mental illness, when detected early, can be successfully managed with limited additional disability. The process of forensic rehabilitation includes a multidisciplinary approach. Therapeutic interventions specifically aimed at addressing core features of autism, risk and offence‐related factors are effective in promoting recovery amongst those with autism and offending behaviour.

The paper highlights how core features of autism can lead to offending behaviour, the importance of early recognition and treatment of co‐morbidity, and the process of forensic rehabilitation and recovery. Also included are quotes from the patient's perspective on what it is like to have Asperger syndrome, and what has been the key learning from the rehabilitation process.

Managing the risk of sex offending and sexually harmful behaviour presented by some men with intellectual disabilities is enhanced if community services map the number in their catchment area, apply appropriate risk assessment and management methods, and implement evidence‐based treatment. This paper describes the methods and progress of one community intellectual disability service in mapping and assessing the risks. A second paper is planned that will address progress in treatment.

The purpose of this paper is to offer a general review of care for individuals on the autism spectrum, including Asperger's syndrome within a medium secure setting.

The authors undertook a review of the current literature relating to pathways to care, offending characteristics and treatment interventions. They examined the available evidence and current practice.

Available evidence suggests offending characteristics of individuals with autism are different to those of mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Limited evidence in treatment interventions and in risk management for those with autism presents a challenge to clinicians. The heterogeneity makes a strong case for an individualised case formulation approach to treatment and risk management.

This paper offers an overview of the current evidence base relating to the treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorders within medium secure settings.

The purpose of this paper is to describe how Kaizen, an accredited offending behaviour programme designed for high risk and need offenders within Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), lends itself to responsive delivery with those meeting the criteria for psychopathy.

The paper describes how the theoretical rationale and model of change underpinning Kaizen can be applied to those with high levels of psychopathic traits given the available literature in this area.

It is argued that Kaizen is applicable to those meeting the criteria for psychopathy.

As a contemporary intervention, the efficacy of Kaizen in its ability to support participants in their journey towards desistance and therefore to contribute to the service wide aim of reducing reoffending is yet to be evaluated. In turn, its applicability to those meeting the criteria for psychopathy is yet to be explored.

This paper lends support to the applicability of Mann and Carter’s (2012) six organising principles of programme design in the treatment of high risk, high need offenders who meet the criteria for psychopathy. It encourages practitioners to consider Kaizen as a possible intervention option for this population and offers guidance as to how the programme might be used to best effect. The paper also highlights the importance of evaluating the efficacy of participation in Kaizen for this population.

In time, Kaizen will replace Chromis as the offer by Intervention Services (HMPPS) for high risk offenders with a high level or combination of psychopathic trait. This paper describes this forthcoming change in approach and the rationale underpinning it.