Our Justice Support Program (JSP), which assists and advocates for people with intellectual disability who have been charged with an offence, have produced a booklet called About the Police, the Court and Lawyers – What to do and what not to do.
The booklet uses plain English and simple illustrations to guide Dan (who has an intellectual disability) and Hannah (who Dan needs to help him make decisions about everyday things) through the criminal justice process in Queensland. The booklet was funded by the Legal Aid Queensland Community Legal Education Collaboration Fund and produced by JSP in collaboration with the Endeavour Foundation.
We consulted widely with individuals (including JSP clients) as well as staff and clientele of the Endeavour Foundation to ensure that the book is as easy to understand and remember, as such a subject can be difficult for people who have had little or no experience of the Police and the criminal Court.
Being arrested or questioned by the police or having to go to court is not something you would expect a person like Dan to cope with by himself, so the booklet is designed to be read by a parent, carer or support worker to the person with intellectual impairment, this way they both learn their roles and what to do and what not to do.
If you know of someone like Dan who would be vulnerable in such a situation we encourage you to download this booklet or contact QAI to request a free printed copy for ‘Dan’ to keep after it’s been read to him.
You can view the booklet at these links:
We’ve also produced a series of YouTube videos of the booklet which can be accessed below or through this link:
YouTube playlist – About the Police.