Mental Health Courts and Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Criminal Justice Solution?

/in , , , , , , , , /by The Arc

Mental health courts were created to divert offenders away from prison into long-term community-based treatment. These courts rely on assessments, treatment plans and ongoing monitoring of behavior to address both the mental health needs of the offenders, as well as the safety needs of the community. But, are mental health courts appropriate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)? Can they do more harm than good? Join NCCJD as we explore these questions and hear from experts in the field about this under-recognized dilemma in the criminal justice system. NCCJD will discuss the results of a recent informal survey of mental health courts serving people with IDD, followed by Ms. Baird who will provide a historical perspective of mental health courts, and define their role and purpose in the criminal justice system. Ms. Patton will discuss how the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Court specifically addresses the needs of individuals with IDD and the benefits of serving these individuals. Mr. Stone will address the concerns of mental health courts and whether they are adequate to serve those with IDD.

Panelists:

Jennifer Baird, Program Manager, Mental Health Court, St. Lucie County, Florida
Meghan Patton, Court Coordinator, Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Court, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Adam Stone, Criminal Defense Attorney

Policing & People with Disabilities Webinar Series: Community-Based Strategies for Reform

/in , , , , , , /by The Arc

Join NCCJD as we delve further into the topic of policing and people with disabilities, with a focus on community-based solutions. This webinar is the second in our 2017 Policing & People with Disabilities series that educates law enforcement, other criminal justice professionals, people with disabilities, family members, and disability advocates about the various intersections that play into discrimination and violence toward people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) within the criminal justice system and how we can address the issue by examining innovative programs and potential solutions from around the country. Law enforcement personnel will also discuss how they are changing police culture from within to reform policing practices around disability. NCCJD will highlight its innovative Pathways to Justice® program, a community-based solution that aims to increase trust and understanding between the criminal justice and disability communities, as well as build the capacity of criminal justice professionals to respond to gaps in services for people with IDD.

Panelists:
Ken Capone & Mat Rice, People on the Go
Travis Akins, Growth Through Opportunity
Nils Rosenbaum, Matthew Tinney, Caren Vendetti & Peter Winograd, Albuquerque Police Department
Leigh Ann Davis & Ariel Simms, The Arc’s National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability

Policing & People with Disabilities Webinar Series: The Intersection of Race, Disability, and Policing

/in , , , , , , , /by The Arc

Join NCCJD as we delve into the topic of policing people with disabilities, with a focus on people of color and women with disabilities. This webinar was the first in our 2017 Policing People with Disabilities series that educates law enforcement, other criminal justice professionals, people with disabilities, family members, and disability advocates about the various intersections that play into discrimination and violence toward people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) within the criminal justice system and how we can address the issue by examining innovative programs and potential solutions from around the country.

Panelists:

Lorrell Kilpatrick, Social Justice Advocate; Everybody Counts, North Indiana
Janine Jackson, Board Member, African American Policy Forum
Ronald Hampton, Advisory Board Member, National Police Accountability Project
David M. Perry, Disability Rights Journalist and History Professor at Dominican University

Competency of Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System: A Call to Action for the Criminal Justice Community

/in , , , , , , /by The Arc

Join NCCJD as we explore the concept of competency for individuals with IDD in the criminal justice system. Topics addressed will include the competency to stand trial process, the differences between competency and the insanity defense, importing death penalty standards for individuals with IDD into competency determinations, competency evaluation wait times, and the impact that guardianship and supported decision making have on competency in criminal cases. Individuals familiar with IDD will get an introduction to competency issues that people with IDD may face while legal professionals will gain insight into the specific implications of IDD within the conceptual framework of competency. The speakers for this webinar are authors of our new white paper, Competency of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System: A Call to Action for the Criminal Justice Community.

Panelists:
Robert Fleischner, Assistant Director, Center for Public Representation
Claudia Center, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Disability Rights Program
Robert Dinerstein, Professor of Law, Associate Dean for Experiential Education, Director of Disability Rights Law Clinic, American University Washington College of Law
Andrew Flood, Stanford Law School
Brooke Boutwell, Wake Forest University School of Law, NCCJD Intern
Hillary Frame, Wake Forest University School of Law, NCCJD Intern

The Attorney Client Relationship: Bridging the Gap Between Attorneys, Clients With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and Their Families

/in , , , , , , /by The Arc

Join NCCJD as we help attorneys, clients and their families understand each other’s needs and obligations during a criminal case, and how they can work together to create a fair and complete attorney/client relationship to ensure the best representation possible for people with IDD. This webinar will be helpful to attorneys and families alike, as well as other advocates. Mr. Gordo will speak about his son, Paul, who has autism and was charged with assault after experiencing sensory overload at a library. Hear how the Gordo family was able to work with their defense attorney to achieve a modest success and get the charges reduced from a major felony to a misdemeanor that resulted in unrestricted probation. Ms. Kelley will discuss the ethics of representing someone with IDD in the criminal justice system as well as ways in which families can help attorneys achieve good outcomes. NCCJD’s Criminal Justice Fellow will discuss how the two worlds – clients/families and attorneys – can be brought together and how all parties involved can help each other reach their goals.

Panelists:

Steve Gordo, Parent Advocate
Elizabeth Kelley, Criminal Defense Attorney and Member of the Board of Directors, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Ashley Brompton, Criminal Justice Fellow, NCCJD

Transcript
Session Slides

Sex Offenders With Autism Spectrum Disorder

/in , , , , , , , , , /by The Arc

The Arc’s National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability® (NCCJD) published a white paper and hosted a webinar on sex offenders with IDD, and noted an overwhelming need for this information nationwide. In response to the high demand for information, NCCJD brings you an addendum and accompanying webinar, specifically identifying the problems occurring as a result of autism spectrum disorder and lack of sexual education.

Transcript

Justice-Involved Youth With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Call to Action for the Juvenile Justice Community

/in , , , , , , , , , /by The Arc

The Arc’s National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability® (NCCJD) notes the decline in juvenile crime and incarceration and accompanying rise in incarceration rates for youth with IDD. NCCJD’s white paper and webinar on justice involved youth with IDD highlights emerging issues and promising practices from across the country including:

  • Preventing involvement in the first place—strategies for parents and advocates
  • Exclusionary discipline in schools
  • The school-to-prison pipeline
  • Restraint and seclusion in schools
  • Special education in juvenile hall
  • The Arc of the Capital Area’s Juvenile Justice Services Program

The webinar features brief presentations from multiple white paper authors. Join us for this thought-provoking webinar and gain new insight on how to assist youth with IDD who are at-risk for or already involved in the juvenile justice system.

Session Slides

Violence in the Lives of People With Disabilities: Emerging Issues and Solutions for 2015 and Beyond

/in , , , , , , /by The Arc

In 2014, the National Crime Victim Survey revealed that people with disabilities face a much greater risk of being victimized compared to those without disabilities (the rate of violent victimization for people with disabilities is nearly three times the rate compared to those without disabilities). This webinar addresses emerging issues in the field with a panel of experts and advocates covering topics like:

  • Using trauma-informed care principles when working with victims with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD)
  • Assisting crime victims with complex communication needs
  • Supporting victims with specific types of disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs)
  • Responding to bullying of students with disabilities
  • Supporting people with disabilities in speaking out against violence.

Join us for this thought-provoking and empowering webinar, and find out how you can reduce violence in the lives of people with disabilities.

Transcript
Session Slides

People With Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System: Promising Legislation for Statewide Reforms

/in , , , , , , /by The Arc

Join NCCJD as we delve into the stories that created statewide movements to pass legislation impacting people with disabilities in the criminal justice system as either suspects or victims of crime. Over the past two years, NCCJD has been compiling a database of such legislation in order to help criminal justice and disability professionals understand this issue from a national viewpoint and get an idea of what type of legislation is being passed and why. Find out how groups in Colorado and Maryland were able to pass such legislation and get tips on how to replicate their success in your community. Also, find out more about our new Criminal Justice and Disability Legislative Database!

Transcript
Session Slides

Suspects/Offenders’ Issues Series: Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Programs: Lessons Learned on Working with Police

/in , , , , , , /by The Arc

For more than 25 years, crisis intervention teams (CIT) have helped local communities come together to improve interactions between police and people living with psychiatric disabilities. The goal of these programs is safer encounters between police and individuals in crisis, give police tools to respond to crisis situations and link people to mental health services. CIT programs also ensure better coordination between law enforcement agencies, mental health providers and other service providers, and individuals and families. While CIT may not be a perfect fit to meet the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, it does provide lessons for the IDD community on how to partner with law enforcement. Ms. Usher will share lessons on how to partner with police and build a sustainable change in local communities to address the needs of people with disabilities.

Transcript
Session Slides