AIBU to expect the police not to lock me up because I have severe claustrophobia.

[jojojoeyjojo]

I haven’t actually committed any crimes ..but just watching one of my favourite TV shows …’24 hours in Police Custody’ and idly musing about what would happen if I ever did get arrested. I am severely claustrophobic and if I was locked in a police cell…or ..shudder…the back of a police van I would be a hyperventilating, hysterical wreck. I am normally very calm in a crisis but my irrational phobia of enclosed spaces or being locked in would be my undoing. What would the police do
in this situation. I guess they would still have to lock you up? Or would they be able to make reasonable adjustments..I’m genuinely curious..

I watched an episode of one of these programmes and at the police station, they had the cell door open with a police officer sitting in the doorway. They might be willing to do that for a short period while in a police cell but that’s not going to wash if you go to prison.

I think the obvious solution here is not get arrested. 😂

Please may I recommend that you sign up to the union founded by Sarah Anderson at FosterWiki? Sarah is doing some absolutely brilliant work to improve the lot for foster carers. There are many, many foster carers and adopters now coming together to challenge how we are treated by local authorities when things get difficult. You watch, it will be the next Post Office scandal. Thanks for your recommendation for EMDR, yes, I am looking into this.

I lost it at "friendship bench" 😂

I used to work in a custody unit and every other person claimed to be claustrophobic. They were just out in their cell like everyone else.

This sounds great.

Where do i start to get arrested?

Best you dont get arrested then eh 🙄

I have an emotional support chihuahua that goes everywhere with me. We can't be separated. I presume he'd be able to come with me into the cell??

They still lock you up. Otherwise everyone would claim to have claustrophobia. They should do increased welfare checks and involve the health care professional to assess you, but whether that would/could happen in practice I don't know. Probably depends on how many others are in, and of those how many are high on drugs/alcohol, suicidal, kicking off and attacking staff, head injuries, other injuries etc.

@ThePieceHall
I’m so very sorry this happened to you. I can quite imagine how awful it was and I would be traumatised too. I hope you can get some EMDR or trauma therapy/support and your mental health improves.

@Shenmen im very sorry to hear about your bad experiences.

So if you're arrested, you have definitely commited a crime? Why do we bother with all this palaver with trials then I wonder 🤔

Like nobody with claustrophobia has ever been arrested or detained before

Next thing we know, he was dead. Someone please tell me what he done so bad that he had to die in custody?
Cause of death?

He was a middle aged black man btw. So for those of you that think institutional racism doesn't exist please think again.
No one with half a brain thinks racism doesn't exist, but this single case could be for any reason. What did the inquest return? Or is this a "my sisters cousins brothers girlfriend" type story?

I was locked up when I was a teenager and literally had a seizure in police custody and was being violently sick and the woman on the intercom told me “this isn’t a hotel”. They would actually probably take great joy in banging you in the smallest cell they had if you told them. Trust me, a lot of them are sadists. I’m sure there’s some good ones before someone comes in with “well my DH is a police officer” but a lot of them are actually just freaks who are on a power trip and think anyone who’s arrested is a valid target because they broke a law, or at least are accused of breaking a law.

They would still have to make "reasonable adjustments" although I suspect that what constituted as reasonable would be less forgiving than it would be in other sectors. Making sure you weren't in a tiny space would maybe not be a necessary reasonable adjustment. However something like making sure a wheelchair using prisoner could access the toilet would be essential. I did an MA in Disability Studies and interestingly my friend was thinking of doing her dissertation on disabled convicts. We got as far as thinking what she could do that would get her incarcerated just for a little while and not give her a life long criminal record...but sadly she died before testing her evil schemes!

DP = detained person (dear prisoner 🤣)

Assuming you aren't intending on being arrested, if I were you I'd worry about the more likely chance of ending up in hospital and being on a stretcher in a lift. Nothing you could do about it.

I was arrested.

Someone called the police and made a very specific allegation that I had sent two emails using her account on a particular lap top.

At the time the email was sent the lap top was in Australia, I was in South America.

They were not the brightest, they confiscated my PC, which I understand, but they took the monitor, keyboard, mouse and printer. I asked them about the printer and I was told, "My mate says there is a memory in it".

As for adjustments, it fucking hurts when you have arthritis in your fingers and they are trying to bend them the wrong way to get prints.

Honestly OP the fact that you would ask this question is the more worrying thing here.

Thank you :)

I doubt it, they probably provide a responsible adult.
Many people use emotional support animals that cannot be in certain areas.
I doubt the dog could stay in a hospital ward or aeroplane for your needs.

Lots of criminals behave like hysterical wrecks. Of course you'd be locked up.

Yes I dont think there are exemptions.

Poster was being sarcastic.

Oh, thank you. 😊