Autistic people within forensic psychiatric services and the criminal justice system: A systematic review

Chester, Verity, Melvin, Clare, Bunning, Karen, Alexander, Regi T. and Langdon, Peter E. (2025) Autistic people within forensic psychiatric services and the criminal justice system: A systematic review. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 36 (5). pp. 711-773. ISSN 1478-9949

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Abstract

Understanding autism prevalence within the Criminal Justice System (CJS) and forensic settings has implications for identifying clinical/forensic needs, planning responses, potentially improving outcomes. This systematic review aimed to synthesise studies investigating autism prevalence within CJS/forensic cohorts, and the prevalence of CJS/forensic involvement in autistic cohorts. Searches were conducted on 6 June 2023, alongside backward searching and expert consultation. Studies were synthesised narratively with reporting quality appraised. The search yielded 6481 articles. Following duplicate removal, titles and abstracts of 4207 articles were screened; 71 articles were full text screened and 41 met eligibility criteria. Prevalence rates of autism in CJS/forensic settings were examined in 25 studies, varied from 0–60%, with rates of autism higher than the general population prevalence estimate of 1% in 24 of 25 included studies. Prevalence rates of CJS/forensic involvement in autistic populations were examined in 16 studies, with reported rates varying by 3–71%. Studies examining prevalence of CJS/forensic involvement among autistic people indicate a rate of offending at a lower, or equivalent level to comparison samples. However, studies examining autism prevalence within CJS/forensic settings suggest over-representation. Possible explanations fall within three categories: pre-sentencing factors, autistic offender factors or post-sentencing factors. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Disclosure statement: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Uncontrolled Keywords:	forensic,offending,autism spectrum condition,pervasive developmental disorder,autistic,neurodevelopmental disorder,sdg 10 - reduced inequalities,sdg 16 - peace, justice and strong institutions,2* ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/reduced_inequalities
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Psychology
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Rehabilitation Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Mental Health and Social Care (fka Lifespan Health)
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	24 Oct 2025 11:31
Last Modified:	24 Oct 2025 11:31
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/100755
DOI:	10.1080/14789949.2025.2558833

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