The Independent Network was group of people who support people with a learning disability in the prison system.

The Network was the first of its kind in the area and brought together officers from across four Durham Prisons as well as people providing community support.

National figures show that a high percentage of people within the prison services have a learning disability or autism and sometimes this information is not shared between the different agencies.

Some people are not identified or diagnosed as having a learning disability or autism until they enter the prison system.

The work looked at how well agencies were working together, and the journey people took through the criminal justice system and the support available, and what could be improved.