Life after release from prison: The experience of ex‐offenders with intellectual disabilities

Background: In the UK, little is known about the experience of ex‐prisoners with intellectual disabilities. Method: A qualitative study was therefore conducted to investigate what life is like for ten men with intellectual disabilities who left prison at least 9 months previously. Semi‐structured interviews were employed to explore the men's views of post‐prison life, including opportunities/challenges and support received from services. Results: Through interpretative phenomenological analysis, four over‐arching themes were constructed: the nature of support and services, the difficulty of staying out of trouble, the importance of family and the need to act the “tough guy”. The participants reported being extremely under‐supported. They were often hostile about staff who they felt were too focused on their previous crime. Conclusions: In general, men were very under‐supported and the upheavals of post‐prison lives appeared to be “normalized” by them. Better understanding of their lives within their social context would benefit their community re‐entry.