Prisoners with developmental disabilities face unique challenges. One facility is offering solutions

By CLAUDIA LAUER
Associated Press

ALBION, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania prison unit is helping men with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities stay safe behind bars while learning life skills. The unit is the first in the state and one of only a handful nationwide. It provides accommodations to help prisoners who struggle with overstimulation and physical coping needs. There is no comprehensive count on how many prisoners in the U.S. have developmental disabilities, and experts disagree on whether it’s better to segregate them or to provide more accommodations in the general prison population. But they agree on one thing: It’s a growing population that has presented a challenge for prison officials as they try to balance a need for security with disability accommodations.