ARC Guide to the Criminal Justice system
ARC England (The Association for Real Change) have written an excellent guide to the Criminal Justice system for carers of people with Learning Disabilities / Autistic Spectrum Conditions and care professionals. See: PWLD-in-the-CJS-Guide-1
National Autistic Society information on the Criminal Justice system
The National Autistic Society has several very useful pages on Criminal Justice and the Police
“Guidance on how to make the Criminal Justice System experience better for autistic people and their families. In this section you will find information about what happens if you are interviewed by the police, how you can help your autistic child if they are the victim or witness of a crime, and information about how police officers and criminal justice professionals can better support autistic people they may come into contact with.”
There is also the National Autistic Society guide Criminal Justice – a guide for police officers and professionals
“All criminal justice professionals may come into contact with autistic people, many of whom may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
In this section you will find information about autistic people, tips for initial police contact, interviews and court appearances, indicators that someone may be autistic, and where to find further information and training.”
Neurodiversity in the Criminal Justice System
(NAS summary of the Report by the Criminal Justice Joint Inspectorate July 2022)
Autism Alert Card (from South Yorkshire Police)
South Yorkshire Police offer a free Autism Alert Card to help autistic people. The scheme has been developed with the help of the National Autistic Society – “The free, credit-card sized, Autism Alert cards are now in circulation to help police and other emergency services workers communicate with autistic residents more effectively, helping those on the autism spectrum feel more comfortable in what perhaps could potentially be an extremely stressful or frightening situation.”
For details of how to obtain your card see: https://southyorks.police.uk/sign-up/autism-alert-or-learning-disability-alert-card/