CODE | DBS1009 | ||||||||
TITLE | Disabled Persons and the Justice System | ||||||||
UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
DEPARTMENT | Disability Studies | ||||||||
DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will focus on the experiences of disabled persons in the justice system, as equal persons before the law, and as victims and perpetrators of crime. International and local legislation and its impact on the rights of disabled persons within the justice system will be analysed. Literature exploring the experiences of disabled persons vis a vis their legal capacity, and from the perspective of the victim and that of the perpetrator will be used to enable the students to further engage with the topic.Impairment related issues, possibly impinging on the experiences of disabled persons in the justice system as well as other cross cutting factors such age, gender identity and sexual orientation will be explored. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to familiarize students with the experiences of disabled persons within the justice system, which is not often aware of the needs of this minority group. Agents that are involved in the lives of disabled persons and which tend to lead to the involvement of disabled persons with the justice system, either as perpetrators of victims of crime will also be explored. While the study-unit aims at making students more aware of legislation related to disabled persons within the justice system. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify social factors that act on the experiences of disabled persons in terms of the recognition of their legal capacity, and as victims or perpetrators of crime. - Evaluate the role of the justice system in supporting disabled persons who are victims of abuse. - Demonstrate an understanding of the rights of disabled persons to an accessible justice system. - Describe ways in which best practise can reach the specific needs of disabled persons in the justice system both as perpetrators and victims of abuse. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Distinguish which social factors intersect with disability to impinge on the experience of disabled persons in the justice system. - Discuss the strategies adopted by several countries to facilitate access within the JS for disabled persons. - Critique current practices that involved disabled persons in the justice system. - Analyze agents that facilitate or challenge access to the JS for disabled persons. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - William R. Lindsay (Editor), John L. Taylor (Editor). The Wiley Handbook on Offenders with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Research, Training, and Practice. (not in library) - Addicott, F., Thomas, S. D., Ogloff, J. R., & Daffern, M. D. (2018). Frequency and characteristics of police involvement in potentially criminal behaviour in disability services. Research and Practice in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 5(1), 47-57. - Jones, J. (2007). Persons with intellectual disabilities in the criminal justice system: review of issues. International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 51(6), 723-733. - Young, A., Monteiro, B., & Ridgeway, S. (2000). Deaf people with mental health needs in the criminal justice system: a review of the UK literature. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 11(3), 556-570. - Glover-Graf, N. M., & Reed, B. J. (2006). Abuse against women with disabilities. Rehabilitation Research, Policy, and Education, 20(1), 43. - Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (2014a). General comment No. 1 (2014) Article 12: Equal recognition before the law. (Retrieved from https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G14/031/20/PDF/G1403120.pdf? OpenElement) - Fundamental Rights Agency. (2013). Legal capacity of persons with intellectual disabilities and persons with mental health problems. (Retrieved from http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2013/legal-capacity-persons-intellectual-disabilities-and-persons- mental-health-problems) - Inclusion International. (2014). Independent but not alone: A global report on the right to decide. London: Inclusion International (Retrieved from http://inclusion-international.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Independent-But-Not-Alone.pdf) |
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STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |