The article by Jessica Jones discusses intellectual disabilities (ID) for people in the criminal justice system. The author informs that a vast majority of people with this mental condition are law-abiding citizens. Still, a small proportion is those with offending behaviors that can be considered antisocial. Lawbreakers with ID- mental problems are treated differently in the criminal justice system compared to normal people. Jones adds that there is a prevalence estimate of criminals with intellectual disabilities and are complicated by diagnostic variations as well as inconsistencies in criminal justice. According to studies, there is an estimated 2 to 40% of the prevalence of offenders with ID. Identifying individuals with ID is complicated due to numerous diagnostic and classification criteria used. Defining offending behavior at first is challenging due to statistics that do not indicate true prevalence and incidences but actual arrest as well as the rate of conviction. Offenders with ID exhibit characteristics like young age, male gender, have a history of psychological problems, unemployed, come from family offending and revel co-morbid mental needs.
From this article, I have learned that the rate of offenders whose intellectual disability is high. Most of these individuals come from families with a history of offending, are young, unemployed, or socio-economic disadvantaged. However, to identify offenders with this condition is challenging due to the diagnostic criteria required. The article is relevant to inform that individuals with intellectual disabilities are at a vulnerable risk of violence. In human services, this article is pertinent to inform the needs for measures to help young adults in the communities. Jones has revealed that compared to non-disabled people, people with intellectual disabilities are younger and often commit crimes requiring forethought. Some behaviors are linked to reasoning or life experiences, hence the need for proactive interventions.
Smith and co-authors inform the challenges that people with intellectual disabilities in the criminal justice face. An example of this includes the interrogation process by the police force. The problem arises through the tactics used by officers to question individuals in time of the arrest. People with ID are taught that officers must be respected and obeyed, and while they often try hard to please them, most officers do not recognize the presence of a disability. The pattern involved in the interrogation process where officers make offenders feel they are in control is a concern to people with ID due to the likelihood of being susceptible to suggestion. Question technique used, like yes or no, can have impacts on respond validity given. Another challenge is witnessed during the persecution process, where an attorney must recognize and understand a person’s disability to help clients. In case the attorney does not acknowledge or understand disability impacts on clients’ decision making, the consequence can be unfair.
The article is significantly relevant to inform the challenges that individuals with ID go through in the criminal justice system. According to the authors, barriers are cited to be common in areas like interrogations, arrest, prosecution, disposition, and sentencing. A counteractive approach to such situations is transition planning, where skill development and coordination with the community where people live are integrated. Form such programs, I have learned that people can be empowered and learns ways to interact with the criminal justice department. This article is relevant in informing various recommendations to rectify identified issues in the field of human services. For instance, while empowering individuals in the community through education, topics should be relevant to criminal justice.
The article by Raina and other authors, shine a light on the pathway for people with intellectual disabilities in the criminal justice. According to the authors, most studies look at individuals’ experience once they enter the criminal justice, but focus less on how they got into the system. As such, the article addresses predisposing factors that lead to various outcomes for people with ID. The authors used a review study to assess the outcomes of police response to about 138 people with ID. The study focused on three groups of individuals, those on arrest, in the emergency department, and on-scene resolution. The study result revealed that out of 138 people, three groups differed in residence during a crisis, records of forensic involvement, and the type of crisis. Authors concluded that police officers’ intervention on adults with ID could take place for varying reasons as predicted by situation and individuals.
From this article, I have learned that the situation and individual are variables that predict the outcomes of police intervention. For instance, a crisis that involves physical aggression is a significant predictor of whether an individual with ID ends up facing criminal justice. People presenting with suicidal behaviors end up being sent to emergency departments. In relation to human services, this article is relevant to inform the pathway to criminal justice for people presenting with intellectual disabilities. The article suggests a future study to consider factors that lead to police officers’ first charge and find out in arrest recidivism. From that, the human service department can be in a position to tell the fate of individuals with ID during and after release.