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'From prison to Parliament' - ADHD woman's journey

Chris CraddockJersey communities reporter
News imageBBC Charlie is sitting on a light grey sofa in a bright room with large windows. She is wearing a black top and a sleeveless brown cardigan. Behind her, a colourful piece of artwork rests on the windowsill, and soft furnishings are visible on the right.BBC
Charlie Herd spoke about her experience in the prison system to help more women with ADHD like herself

A volunteer said it was "quite monumental going from prison to Parliament" after speaking about her experience in the prison system.

Charlie Herd was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison in 2021 for drug offences before she got her ADHD diagnosis after being released.

She spoke in the UK Parliament earlier this year as part of the A Personal Sentence campaign, which has been raising awareness about why more support is needed for women with the condition in the prison system.

It has called for more screenings to diagnosis women in prison, so they have access to better support upon release to reduce the risk of reoffending.

News imageRachel Boss Charlie, Hannah and Rachel are standing close together at an indoor event, dressed in smart or semi-formal clothing. They are positioned in front of tall curtains and a decorative window, with a banner partially visible behind them. Rachel wears an orange visitor lanyard, and Charlie has her arm around Hannah in the centre.Rachel Boss
Charlie (left) and Rachel Boss (right) from ADHD Jersey were joined by England rugby player Hannah Botterman at the event

Herd was invited to speak in front of politicians and decision-makers to share her experience.

She said: "There was so much chaos within my life... It's just having the understanding of what ADHD is so that you can work with it, rather than ADHD working against you".

Herd added: "I think it really is as simple as understanding yourself and having the right education and the right support so you're feeling like you're a part of something and you're not misunderstood and neglected once upon release.

"We do see a lot of people end up reoffending because they're not getting that support or that understanding that they maybe need".

Simon Meadowcroft is the medical director at Takeda UK, which is the company behind the campaign.

He said "that women with ADHD are much less likely to be diagnosed than men" and "we see women in the criminal justice system as being really quite a neglected group of ADHD patients".

He added: "One of the reasons that we worked with Charlie is we'd seen her do work previously, which was really quite inspiring around advocacy for women with ADHD within the system."

The event also heard from MP Tessa Munt and England rugby player and World Cup winner Hannah Botterman to call for more support for women with ADHD in the prison system.

News imageRachel is sitting on a sofa in a casual indoor setting, wearing a black polo shirt with a small multicoloured logo. A large yellow cushion is placed beside them, and a blank whiteboard or poster hangs on the wall in the background.
Rachel Boss from ADHD Jersey says there needs to be more screenings in prison

Rachel Boss founded the support group ADHD Jersey which helped Herd when she was released from prison.

Boss said Herd was "an absolutely amazing girl", adding: "To just be able to speak in Parliament with so much poise and so much conviction - it's just the most beautiful thing that I've ever seen."

She added: "There needs to be more screening in the prisons and then there really needs to be some support for when prisoners are ready to reintegrate."

The Justice and Homes Affairs Department has been asked for a response to calls for more ADHD screenings.

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