Aspies Who Come Into the Criminal Justice System

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I found this article in the International Journal of Forensic Mental Health that involves case studies of people with Asperger's Syndrome who come in contact with the criminal justice setting.

http://www.iafmhs.org/files/Murrie.pdf

Skimmed the article. It makes AS sound like we are criminals because we don't understand right from wrong. Heavens I would never try to do attempted murder or do any sexual assaults. I know they're against the law so therefore I don't do it and I don't want to be a bad person.

I've broken the law many times, but they were all minor stuff I did as a teenager.

I see some parallels between myself and a few of the people described in that article... I can imagine my life being similarly destroyed if and when I ever make the wrong mistake. Now I'm feeling like more of a space alien than ever before.

It stands to reason that if the only AS they came in contact with were criminals that the article would be about Aspies that committ criminal acts. Hell, we are just people.

Merle

Thanks to those people who make aspies sound like criminals, some of people at school think I'm a silent, cold blooded killer. Or who might be the next person to do a high school massacre. I feel depressed when they do that.

That's a part of psychiatry stigmatizing people with labels so that these people can be put into psychiatry's care without needing it. People with AS probably commit less violence in general, though it's hard to get accurate statistics since far from everyone gets diagnosed. The autistic spectrum shouldn't be any special case in the justice system, not more expected to commit crime, or excused when people on it commit some crime.

http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/41/20/1


Must-read article for anyone interested in the prison system and prisoners with autism/learning disabilities/mental illness. The above article talks about how more and more people with mental problems, etc.. are being put in prisons instead of psychiatric facilities.. Many of them also are alcoholics or have other substance abuse problems. An aspie on alcohol could be mistaken for someone that they might take down town.

There really NEEDS to be testing in prisons for learning disabilities/autism also! Someone in government should INSIST upon this!! The prisons are very overcrowded too. They are saying that 24% of prison population has a severe mental illness.. This was a year ago too, it's worse now! Here's a small quote from the article :

"I suspect if most of us spent much time in these places, we would all develop mental health "problems,'" Hamilton said.

Interesting article, I like how the accused admitted to their acts without conflict, which is in stark contrast to "normal" people.

For the most part, people with Asperger's are the victims rather than the victimizers; this article just talks of those who're the victimizers and how they differ from "normal" people, i.e., "cold" and seemingly detached from the feelings of others isn't always a lack of remorse, it can be a lack of empathy (whether they both are the same thing or not is up for argument; the effect is still the same).

interesting

What bothers me is the new security camera/computer systems where the computer analyses the body language of the public.

If it catches someone displaying 'shifty' body language, they are marked as someone thinking about commiting a crime, which is then relayed to the security staff. Certain ND people get harassed enough as it is - this would make things 10* worse - learn how to appear 'straight' or get harassed everytime you pass through a mall.

Interesting article, i skimmed the case studies, seemed better severe alot of them. I also have had contact with the justice system for minor stuff. Nothing like those guys. I was once bullied for years where I lived, one day I had enough and confronted the bully, he threw a punch and nailed me in the lip, instantly I went on the defencive, i felt no pain and it was like instinct and so I managed to pumble him to the ground and I ended up being arrested when he told his parents and they called the police. They claimed in court I was a drug user and crazy (it may have been known I was in special ed due to gossip, and that I may have mild autism (thanks mom and dad, tell 1 neghboor and everybody knows) and so the kids parents beleived since I was different it would be more likly I would be locked up in jail or whatever. Instead since the kid admitted starting the fight I was aquitted and smiled at tha family as I got to walk out free.

I think misjudging the situation on my part led me to be arrested, I coulda avoided him, I coulda not freaked out and smashed the side of his face in, I dont think im mean of violent, just did not wanna be harrassed anymore in my neghboorhood. Anyone else been here????