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John,
July marks Disability Pride Month — a time to celebrate and raise awareness about the experiences, accomplishments, history, and rights of the disability community.
It’s crucial to recognize how disability intersects with social justice. At the Innocence Project, we know that people with disabilities can be tragically ensnared in the criminal justice system. People with disabilities face unique challenges — including communication barriers, negative stereotyping, and inadequate accommodations — that can hinder their ability to effectively participate in the legal process and can make them particularly vulnerable to wrongful conviction, incarceration, and death sentences.
As an organization that strives to create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone, it’s important to us to ensure that the rights of individuals with disabilities are protected, particularly during encounters with law enforcement.
In honor of this month, we put together two articles that we highly recommend you read:
Pervis Payne, who has an intellectual disability, spent 33 years on Tennessee’s death row. (Image: Courtesy of PervisPayne.Org)
8 Ways People With Disabilities Can Be Vulnerable To Wrongful Conviction
Here at the Innocence Project, we’ve seen some of the unique struggles that people with disabilities face when it comes to our criminal legal system. The stories of people like Pervis Payne, Sandra Hemme, and Robert Roberson underscore these challenges. From communication barriers to misinterpretation of behavior to prejudice and bias, folks with disabilities can be particularly vulnerable to wrongful conviction. Take a moment right now to read more about some of the struggles the disability community may face in the legal system and ways we can help address these issues.
Sandra Hemme was wrongly convicted after police exploited her mental illness and coerced her into making false statements while she was sedated and receiving treatment for hallucinatory episodes. (Image: Courtesy of the Hemme family)
Know Your Rights: What To Do If You Have A Disability and Are Questioned By Police
Navigating the complexities of police interrogations can be an especially daunting and potentially overwhelming experience for individuals with disabilities. Understanding and asserting their rights during these critical moments is key to ensuring fair treatment and safeguarding their well-being. Please read through this guide we made to make sure you know your rights if you or a loved one with a disability is ever interrogated by police.
Thank you so much for your support,
— The Innocence Project Team |
