Book on Autism,Legal System

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St. Francis College professor Emily Horowitz, with co-editor law professor Larry Dubin, JD, are fighting to make the legal system fairer for people on the autism spectrum and those with developmental disabilities through the release of their new book, “Caught in the Web of the Criminal Justice System: Autism, Developmental Disabilities, and Sex Offenses” (Jessica Kingsley Publishers).

The book argues that the legal system needs to radically change the way it handles cases involving defendants with developmental disabilities charged with sex offenses; that they are overly harsh and don’t take into account the defendant’s lack of awareness or inability to comprehend the societal values that these laws police, according to a release from the school.

Arguing for reform in the judicial treatment of people convicted of sex offenses, this book examines how sentencing policies are based on emotion rather than research. Using the lens of harsh sex offense prosecutions of those with developmental disabilities, “Caught in the Web” claims that hysteria is the underlying driver in our approach to sex offenses.