NCJ Number
113226
Date Published
1986
Length
100 pages
Annotation
This study examined the interactions of disabled persons with the criminal justice system in Arizona in the areas of police-citizen encounters, police training programs, citizen crime prevention programs, victim-witness programs, the arrest and booking of disabled persons, and the accessibility of jail and prison systems.
Abstract
A major portion of the study consisted of interviews with a sample of 80 Phoenix police officers to determine their attitudes toward disabled persons in the course of police duties and the relationship of their attitudes to police demographic variables. The majority of police officers reported no difference in their treatment of citizens with physical disabilities. Any differences in the handling of disabled persons were toward more leniency. Officers with more than 2 years of college and those with a disabled family member were more likely to treat disabled persons the same as other citizens. Although the State provides no guidelines for police training in the management of disabled persons, the Phoenix Regional Police Training Academy provides 6-8 hours of recruit training in the handling of disabled persons. Although there are resources for the development of victim/witness programs that address the special needs of the handicapped, they are not often used. There are also few crime prevention programs for disabled people. Correctional facilities are not usually equipped to meet the needs of disabled inmates. Appended supplementary material, 9 references.