Disability studies, social work and criminal justice

This chapter aims to equip practitioners with the theoretical knowledge to be able to advocate for inclusive and empowering approaches, challenging the biomedical deficit models that have long dominated social work and criminal justice. Contemporary social work practitioners face the challenge of ensuring equality and inclusion, against a lack of resources and a social and cultural history of disability perceived through a lens of pathology and deficit. This chapter examines biomedical, social, and cultural approaches to conceptualising the experiences of Disabled People who encounter social work and criminal justice agencies, both historically and in contemporary society. We explore the implications of these perspectives for practice, highlighting the need for a nuanced understanding that transcends medicalisation to centralise the lives, views, and experiences of Disabled People. This theoretical conceptualisation is crucial for developing a multidisciplinary approach that effectively addresses the needs of disabled individuals who encounter the criminal justice system for whom the impacts of poverty and marginalisation remain significant.