Welcome

People with disabilities have unique barriers that keep many crimes from being reported. Some people with disabilities may also have increased vulnerability to false accusation and prosecution of crimes. In addition, there are distinct difficulties associated with prosecuting people who commit crimes against people with disabilities.

The goal of the Disability Justice Initiative is to improve the interaction between the ND criminal justice system and citizens with disabilities. The focus on the is project is to address issues specific to mental illness and developmental disabilities, specifically mental retardation.

The Disability Justice Initiative includes five phases of activity to promote positive change between the criminal justice system and people with disabilities. Project activities include completing a state-wide assessment to determine training needs for criminal justice personnel, establishing ND partner communities implementation of training curricula, and information dissemination.