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Steps to Protect Your Rights
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What can I do to help protect my own rights or the rights of someone with mental retardation?
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Education and training is paramount if individuals with mental retardation are going to receive equal justice. Children and adolescents with mental retardation must learn about the possibility of meeting a police officer and how to protect their rights during encounters with police. Contact your school's special education department and local chapter of The Arc to promote the use of such training if it is currently unavailable.
Police officers should be familiar with and understand this disability. Contact your local police department and ask for the training officer or police chief. Determine if mental retardation is included in their training. If not, advocate for the teaching of mental retardation as a separate module (apart from mental illness) so officers will not confuse the two disabilities (Norley, 1976). Encourage your local chapter of The Arc to provide training on mental retardation for police officers.
Educating court officials can begin by contacting the court liaison and requesting a meeting with the judge. Ask the judge what training on mental retardation is available to court personnel in your county and, if there is none, request the use of such training.
Building alliances among chapters of The Arc, the police departments and the courts prepares the community for situations involving people with mental retardation who come in contact with the criminal justice system. Such preparation enables the criminal justice system in your community to ensure that the rights of people with mental retardation are protected.
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