Research into autism and the criminal justice system

[emmacroombs]

Hi everyone,

 

My name is Emma Croombs and I am a post-graduate student at the University of Portsmouth studying for an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Psychology. I have a great interest in the relationship between the criminal justice system and autism ? I have a nine year old brother who is on the spectrum and I am intrigued as to how the police, courts and aftercare services would treat him were he to come into contact with them in the future, for any reason.

 

I am currently conducting research for my dissertation on this subject, entitled ?Does the criminal justice system provide an injustice to people with disorders on the autistic spectrum?? Having done some background reading, I am currently under the impression that there is a lack of understanding of autistic spectrum disorders in the criminal justice system, and as such a lack of provisions throughout the process to meet their needs. This is apparent for victims, witnesses, suspects and offenders. There also appears to be a lack of provisions preventing people with autistic spectrum disorders entering the criminal justice system as suspects or offenders in the first place, as well as any help after court.

 

I would like to find out for myself whether or not this is the case. I was wondering if anyone here (parent, guardian or person with autistic spectrum disorder) has any experience of the criminal justice system, either as a victim, witness, suspect or offender? If so, would you be please be able to tell me about your experiences? You will be kept anonymous at all times and I do not need to know specific details of your case. All I would ask for is how you think the person with an autistic spectrum disorder was treated, what was done well or badly, why you think that, and any improvements you think should be made. This can be done through a private message or an email and can be as short or as long as you wish. My aim is to gather real experiences of how good or bad people with autistic spectrum disorders are treated within the criminal justice system.

 

Thank you very much for your time and help, it is much appreciated. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me. If you would like to take part in my research please pm me for further details.

 

Thank you!

Edited June 13, 2008 by baddad

[KateBall]

OK so I just wanted to bump this up to the top again because this is my dd. She is doing a masters and really could do with some info from anyone out there who has had some - any - dealings with the criminal justice system i.e. the police, the court, prison as a witness or victim or perpetrator - anything. If you or your asd child has had some contact with the police for example - that's what she wants to know about and how they were dealt with. Please help her if you can because I know her dissertation is going to be good and it might be used to make a difference. I know anyone can stay anonymous and you need only pm her with an indication of willingness to help and she will tell you what she would like to know. No names or way of identifying will go in her dissertation.

Thank you ever so!

[Bard]

Well, I'm not sorry that I can't help because at one time I thought I'd have Broadmoor on speed dial, but that period has passed!

Yes, I know that it may come again, but I live in the moment.

Kate, you could try a direct pm appeal to people you know have had involvement with law enforcement, but many may be really reluctant, as the response to the initial post has shown.

Edited June 17, 2008 by Bard

[Bagpuss]

Will PM you.

Edited June 17, 2008 by Bagpuss

[justamum]

My son has had dealing with the police as a victim. I can't speak about the case but can about the way he was treated. I requested an officer who has experience with child with autism. The officer said he felt he could deal with it, despite me asking twice. However although he was kind to my son he didn't believe a word of what he was saying because he kept adding to what he was saying...remember more stuff. When I explained you can not get all the information in one sitting this was dismissed. The perpetrator is a 'professional', I can say no more, and basically used that to dismiss my sons probable autism and enforced he was just a liar and badly behaved. He went on further to suggest that I should discipline my son harder and I was failing in my parental duties (the pro suggested this)...the case was dropped as she, the pro, turned it on me as a parent who was abusing my son.

 

Basically shut up or we send in child protection!

 

The Police did look at my sons bruises and tried to dismiss them as playground rough play until I showed them written evidence of this persons negative feeling against my son. BUT they could get no evidence to prove her behave toward him, and that's when child protection was raised. I had bruised him apparently!

 

I believe this officer may well have thought he knew how to handle my son but in reality he had no clue and clearly showing off to his rooky officer he had with him. he readily believed the pro purely because of their job. He dismissed the case as he felt the pro's word was more reliable and that indeed my son was rude, badly behaved, and a liar. HOWEVER he did admit there was obviously a clash of personalty between my son and the pro (an adult who had 'training' in child with SEN and should have known better). My son was short changed and I was 'branded' and my lawyer is now dealing with that!

[hsmum]

Hello,

 

Until very recently I worked in a Young Offenders Institute (males aged 15-18). I cannot generalise, but my own impression was that very few boys arrived with a specific diagnosis of ASD (a much larger proportion had a diagnosis of ADHD), although in the process of teaching the boys it became obvious that quite a significant number of trainees had autistic traits. The general consensus amongst teaching staff was that the ASD-trait boys were probably not diagnosed because: (a) their behaviour was attributed to their background; ( their parents or guardians did not know how to go about acquiring a diagnosis. The YOI was a hard place for any youngster, but for those on the spectrum it seemed worse. For example, there was very little privacy; the streetwise boys could very easily manipulate the ASD boys ('stitch them up'); the language (a mixture of street slang and prison slang) was confusing for people who have a literal interpretation and routines were often disrupted. When my own son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, I began to wonder if people with ASDs were less likely to offend because they liked to stick to rules etc. or whether they were more likely to offend because they did not understand social rules and/or they were more easily led than the NT population. I still do not know the answer.

 

I know I am telling you something that you already know, but do take into account the other variables when you consider ASDs and offending. Socio-economic factors, life history, substance abuse, school experience and specific learning difficulties and being male all contribute to the increased likelihood of offending.

[emmacroombs]

Thnak you all for replying (and hi mum!)

 

Justamum, thank you so much for your help. What you have said is exactly the sort of thing I am looking for. My ultimate aim is to highlight problems people with asd have with the cjs in the hope that someone will begin to take note and change things for the better. Do you think some form of training for the police into the needs of of asd would have altered the way you were treated? I was afraid that I would find someone who has experience of not being believed or classed as reliable - just because someone has asd does not mean what they say should have any less weight than the next person.

 

Hi hsmum, thank you for your help too! I totally understand what you are saying. Another part of what I would like to find out is whether provisions after court were suitable for asds. Do you think the YOI was appropriate for those with ADHD or asd traits? I really don't know either whether people with asds are less or more likely to offend - some books I have read suggest that elements of the asd (one example given was a tendency to peer into people's windows) were classed as offending behaviour by others and so the person with asd was labelled an offender. Also, that asd people can be easily led by gangs for example, and so do something illegal on the say so of them. If a person with asd does offend however for whatever reason, could/should more have been done to help that person beforehand and prevent them from getting into trouble. I really do not know.

 

Thank you again for your help. If anyone else would like to contribute please feel free to do so.

 

Emma

[Tally]

I was afraid that I would find someone who has experience of not being believed or classed as reliable - just because someone has asd does not mean what they say should have any less weight than the next person.

I think the differences in behaviour can also be reasons why people with ASD are not taken seriously. Lack of eye contact and strange movements can be misinterpreted as signs of dishonesty. I have not had any involvement with the police, but I am having a lot of problems in getting my medical needs met because people do not believe what I am telling them.

[justamum]

Do you think some form of training for the police into the needs of of asd would have altered the way you were treated?

 

I think that PC plod should have realised he was out of his depth and sort someone who had specific training, yes my lad would have been treated differently. But I also believe the pro knew this and used it to her advantage to ensure her vindication and my threat of Child Protection. This was more poignant particularly after I had asked for someone who had training with ASD's. I believe for him it was macho show off to the rooky police woman who was shadowing him. So training to realise there are certain conditions that they CAN NOT handle and to admit they can not and to recognise that if a person doesn't behave in the way they think they should, oddly, then get other help in. You can't expect every officer to know.

 

I met him over another incident, intimidation of a witness (me). He was completely different, and knew he could not brush me off so easily...beside the guy had committed an offence and I was not the only witness to the original offence.