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

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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.

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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.

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Sex Offenders with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Call to Action for the Criminal Justice Community

/in , , , , , /by The Arc

This webinar examines the complicated issue of those with IDD being charged and convicted of sexual crimes and offers important guidance to criminal justice professionals.
Through NCCJD’s national information and referral process, we continue to see cases of sex offenses by people with IDD that are well outside the stereotypical instances portrayed by the media. NCCJD’s white paper and webinar on the topic will highlight current issues in the field, as well as promising practices from across the country including:

  • Writing a community safety plan
  • Research from Ohio focusing on the characteristics and offense patterns of 160 individuals with DD
  • Ohio’s response to addressing the service needs of individuals with IDD who have been convicted of committing a sexual offense
  • Specialized employment services for people with disabilities and sex offending behavior
  • Evaluations and risk assessments of people with IDD
  • An overview of the negative impact of Megan’s law consequences on the IDD population
  • Right to representation and how to provide effective representation to this population

Webinar participants will be the first to obtain NCCJD’s white paper on the topic of sex offenders with IDD which delves even deeper into the issues addressed on the webinar. Join us for this thought-provoking and empowering webinar.

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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!

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Alternatives to Incarceration for Criminal Offenders with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

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

Criminal offenders with developmental and intellectual disabilities (IDD) present unique challenges to the criminal justice system seeking to investigate and prosecute crime as well as to the social service system seeking to serve and assist this population. Such individuals make up at least 9 – 10% of the prison population and some studies tell us that they may comprise as much as 50% of adult and juvenile offender populations. It is unquestioned that individuals with IDD face distinct disadvantages in the system, resulting in convictions for more serious offenses and more prison time. The Criminal Justice Advocacy Program (CJAP) of The Arc of NJ seeks to overcome these disadvantages, while still ensuring that offenders take responsibility for criminal behavior, by arranging specific interventions that provide alternatives to incarceration through offender-specific Personalized Justice Plans. The CJAP also acts as a clearinghouse of information between the criminal justice and social service system in providing training and communication between the two systems. This webinar will review the obstacles and disadvantages faced by this population and provide an overview of the CJAP.

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Crime Victims With Disabilities: An Overview for Professionals in the Criminal Justice System

/in , , , , /by The Arc

In this webinar, Dr. Nora Baladerian provides an overview of people with disabilities and victimization for criminal justice professionals.

Dr. Nora Baladerian is the Director of the Disability, Abuse and Personal Rights Project in Los Angeles, CA; she has worked in the area of abuse of people with disabilities since 1972. She served as a Member of the California Children’s Justice Act Task Force, representing the interests of children with disabilities since 1993 to 2008. She is a former Board Member of the National Committee to Prevent Elder Abuse and Advisory Board Member of the American Bar Association’s Council on Victims. Dr. Baladerian is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist and Board Certified Crisis Responder. She has expertise in conducting evaluations of suspected sexual abuse and assessments with children and adults with developmental disabilities, as well as providing clinical intervention. She consults with attorneys and law enforcement agencies providing expert witness consultation, and serves as an expert panel member for the Los Angeles County Juvenile and Family Courts. Dr. Baladerian is the author of a several guidebooks for professionals, parents and individuals with disabilities, as well as the chapter on psychotherapy intervention for child crime victims with disabilities in the Standards of Care Guidebook developed by the California Victim’s Assistance Programs. As a media consultant she served as the character consultant for Benny on L.A. Law, and has worked with other TV shows, including Doogie Howser and 21 Jump Street as well as other film and print media activities. She hosted “Sexual Healing with Dr. Nora,” a radio talk/call-in show airing on KFNX in Phoenix, Arizona and WALE in Providence, RI for 1-1/2 years. Dr. Baladerian is the Clinical Director of the Counseling Center of West Los Angeles where she maintains a private practice in a group setting. She is the Project Coordinator for the Disability and Abuse Project of Spectrum Institute, and from 2000-2006 the Director of the CAN Do! Project, Child Abuse & Neglect Disability Outreach at Arc Riverside.

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