Justice System Interactions Among Autistic Individuals: A Multiple Methods Analysis

Abstract

Increasing attention has detailed negative outcomes among interactions between autistic individuals and criminal justice system officers, including police, across the US. The purpose of this study is to identify the experiences of autistic individuals and their caregivers across their interactions with the criminal justice system through quantitative and qualitative analyses of responses from a statewide survey in one large, northeastern state. Qualitative findings show a diverse array of experiences between autistic individuals and the justice system as victims, offenders, and witnesses with both positive and negative experiences reported. Quantitative findings show increased risk for justice interaction with a co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses, gender, age, and other factors. The findings from this study present important future directions for research, policy, and practice.