Legal Reform for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (LRIDD)

Dealing with the restrictions and reporting requirements of the Registry is difficult enough for those who study these laws carefully.  Imagine if you were a person with an intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD), or the families with loved ones that have  Autism, Aspergers, Klinefelter Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and IDD (which is the new politically correct name for mental retardation), and related disabilities.

Individuals with I/DD or related disabilities have poor social skills, poor impulse control and lack of formal sex education. They are followers not initiators. They are easily influenced. They do not behave appropriately for their age level. They fail to understand consequences or the seriousness of their actions. They are unable to read and understand the consequences of a conviction plea. They lack the ability to express sexuality in an appropriate manner. They are isolated. They lack access to good social activity.

In 2015, a few parents who have family members with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities caught up in the Criminal Justice System were asked to share their stories on a webinar hosted by the U.S. National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD).  Over 1,000 people logged on to that webinar, and those speakers knew they couldn’t stop there.  They wanted to do more to advocate for prevention, intervention and diversion instead of prosecution and incarceration.

They started Legal Reform for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (LRIDD) as a subcommittee of the Arc and NCCJD. Their membership is a passionate group of parents who have family members with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities caught up in the Criminal Justice System.  They also have the support of advocates that are government employees, university researchers, professors, psychologists, law enforcement and attorneys.

The mission of LRIDD is to ensure equal access to justice, ADA accommodations and effective treatment for defendants with I/DD who are involved with the criminal justice system.

One of the co-founders of LRIDD is also a member of FAC.  She will be the Guest Speaker on the FAC membership call tonight at 8pm ET.  She is the mother a 33 year old young man with an Intellectual and Developmental Disability who functions on the level of a ten year old. He was put on the registry in 2013, and she will share the impact that the unfair conviction and the registry has had on their family.

Dial 319-527-3487 to participate in tonight’s call.  If you have any trouble connecting, text “CALL ME” to 319-527-3487.  You will receive a call back and be directly connected to the conference call.

If your family has a loved one with I/DD or related disability, and you are interested in forming a membership subcommittee of LRIDD in Florida, email membership@floridaactioncommittee.org so that we can network our families in Florida.

As a result of the networking in Virginia, LRIDD members testified before the VA House of Representatives in support of a reform bill, which was successfully passed.  See testimony link below.

Important Links: Webpage: LRIDD.org

Facebook: LRIDD

Twitter: lridd1

ARC of Virginia: https://www.thearcofva.org/

VA House of Representatives testimonies: https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00304/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20200129/-1/13042?mediaStartTime=20200129205234&mediaEndTime=20200129210234&viewMode=2&fbclid=IwAR0LNPUWBdGBa20IDZsDXDQI8vbMUdJMX1ovVPZ1FCMqjy9jSXlDhX6CitY