Joint Statement on Crisis Response, Disability, and Community Safety Following the Death of Alex LaMorie | Autism Society

autismsociety.org/joint-statem...

For 23 years, WA has detained a man for a crime he can’t understand Washington taxpayers spend more than $500,000 a year to hold a man with an intellectual disability on McNeil Island. He’s been sexually abused for decades in state custody.

@dthreeorg.bsky.social
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

BREAKING: Senator Jennifer Boysko’s (@jenniferboysko.com) SB335 to Protect People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) & Mental Health Disorders is on its way to the Gov’s desk with broad bipartisan support! Six years in the making! Thank you, Senator & our countless partners!

He Has The Mind Of A Child. His Mom Fears He's Dying In Jail A man with developmental disabilities has been in jail for more than a year even though his mom — the alleged victim — wants the charges dropped and is growing more worried about his well-being.

A man with developmental #disabilities has been in jail for more than a year even though his mom — the alleged victim — wants the charges dropped and is growing more worried about his well-being.

Colorado bill to end forced sterilization of people with disabilities moves through Senate Bill would repeal existing state statute; heads to final votes before governor's desk.

People on the spectrum and with disabilities should live self determined lives. This relic of the past needs to stay in the past. We support this bill to end forced sterilization. www.kjct8.com/2026/03/11/c...

This is precisely the reason Dthree works hard to help autistic individuals avoid a criminal record.

If the odds of employment are this tough under normal circumstances, imagine the uphill battle to get a job being both disabled and having the stigma of a record.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

When Temps Plunge, Dilapidated Jails and Prisons Put Lives at Risk Aging infrastructure is a major challenge when it comes to extreme weather in prisons, jails and detention facilities in the U.S.

Power outages, frost-covered cells, interrupted medical care, limited food and water, and unsafe labor requirements: as low temperatures sweep across the U.S., incarcerated people face heightened threats to their lives due to these extreme weather conditions.

Graph showing that Black women face a 43% unemployment rate

The U.S. unemployment rate is 4.3%. Now, try wrapping your head around the idea of a 43% unemployment rate.

That’s the reality formerly incarcerated Black women face, thanks to the prison penalty:

And in case you missed it, we cataloged the members of Congress who have taken thousands of dollars from private prison companies like CoreCivic and GEO Group. Find out if your rep is among them: theappeal.org/ice-cold-cas...

Virginia Senate advances bills to change how people with disabilities interact with courts The Virginia Senate voted Thursday to advance two bills that advocates say would make it easier for people with disabilities navigating the criminal justice system.

www.pilotonline.com/2026/02/13/v...

Graph showing that incarceration increases the risk of death more than most other individual risk factors

Incarceration is deadly.

People incarcerated on a single day in 2008 had a 39% higher risk of death compared to similar people who were not incarcerated:

Neurodiverse defendants deserve a fairer chance in the Criminal Justice System | BPS Dr Bernard Horsford, Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, calls for you to get involved in a study that seeks to drive change.

From across the pond but equally relevant in the United States.

www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...

California state court judges found to have gaps in their understanding of autism A new study identifies significant gaps in judges' knowledge about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which can lead to inequities in how people with this disorder are treated in legal settings. The stud...

All stakeholders in the criminal legal system need additional training, including judges.

medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02...

Page 1 Image: Silhouette of diverse workers (one with a visible disability aid, one wearing work gear). Large text: “Every worker deserves dignity, safety, and opportunity — including currently and formerly incarcerated workers.” Small text: “Here’s what you should know about your rights in California.”

Page 2 — When Disability & Incarceration Intersect Over 40% of incarcerated people in state prisons live with a disability — physical, mental health, or developmental. Source: Prison Policy Initiative Many are forced into exploitative prison labor for pennies an hour, without accommodations. Source: Cal Matters

Page 3 — Your Rights as a Formerly Incarcerated Worker You have the right not to be automatically disqualified from most jobs because of your record. California’s Fair Chance Act limits when employers can ask about convictions. Employers must consider the nature of the offense, the job, and time passed — not your past alone.

Page 4 — Your Rights if You Have a Disability You are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Employers must provide reasonable accommodations and cannot discriminate based on disability or criminal history. You can file a complaint if your rights are violated.

California’s Fair Chance Act helps ensure a record isn’t a permanent barrier to work. But true justice means going further: ending the exploitation of incarcerated workers with disabilities, many of whom earn pennies an hour without accommodations.

Image: woodgrain background with Justice Forward Virginia logo. Text: On the docket.

ON THE DOCKET: Friday, February 6, 2026 House Courts Crim Sub will meet 15 minutes after adjournment of the House. Mental Health Evidence Fix, Juvenile Diversion, and a bill to Eliminate Felony Possession of Residue (unusable trace amount). house.vga.virginia.gov/subcommittee...

State granted 60-day extension in Robert Roberson case ANDERSON COUNTY, Texas (KETK)– After Anderson County death row inmate Robert Roberson was granted an execution stay this past October, the state has been granted a 60-day extension to determi...

In 2003, Robert was wrongfully convicted and put on death row for the murder of his 2-year-old chronically ill daughter Nikki, based on the outdated “shaken baby theory.” He has narrowly escaped execution three times — the last one in October 2025.

https://bit.ly/4cgPCzw

States Sue Over Right Of People With Disabilities To Live In The Community In a new twist in a long-running lawsuit, a coalition of states is challenging the right of people with disabilities to live and receive services in the community as opposed to institutions.

“This new lawsuit is a serious attack on one of the most important and hard-fought rights for people with disabilities — the right to live and participate in their own communities,” said Alison Barkoff, a professor at George Washington University...
www.disabilityscoop.com/2026/02/02/s...

“Diversion programs are proven methods of accountability that allow participants to avoid the harms of incarceration. I like to think of them as an off-ramp for people before many of the consequences of the criminal legal system come into force.”—Vera’s Meghan Nayak

He's autistic. Jurors misread that as guilt. Will Texas execute him? Overwhelming evidence shows that Robert Roberson is innocent.

Because of his undiagnosed autism, Robert Roberson was seen as “cold” and “unemotional” instead of terrified and grieving. That misunderstanding helped send an innocent man to death row. Read more from the Autism Society of Texas: www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outl...

Deaf in Prison Deaf in Prison: An Interview with HEARD Advocate and HEARD's Public Education (PET) Graduate. Conducted for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

Deaf in Prison: An Interview with HEARD Advocate and HEARD's Public Education (PET) Graduate - autisticadvocacy.org/2026/01/deaf...

Ohio family pushes for updated restraint chair training for people with neurodivergence Isaiah Trammell lived with autism, Tourette’s, ADHD and died after his time in a restraint chair in Dayton, Ohio.

This story hits home for our population and should be a cautionary tale for those involved in corrections. Sadly, we see it all too often at DThree.

Do not mistake neurodivergence for behavioral defiance. Doing so can cost an autistic person their life. (6-15-25) www.kmbc.com/article/kmbc...

DThree Anthem (Standing for the Spectrum) YouTube video by Autistic Voyage

One of our *awesome*, talented and sensitive supporters of Dthree wrote us an anthem. We think it’s perfect in every way! Nothing reaches the heart like music. DThree has a powerful mission, and Eric encapsulated it beautifully and intensely through song. Way to go, Eric! youtu.be/xk9NU9PBtMs?...

Statement from the Autism Society of Minnesota:

"The Autism Society of Minnesota is deeply concerned for all autistic individuals, who are statistically estimated to be 7–12 times more likely to encounter law enforcement due to disability-related processing differences."

Texas and Eight Other States Attack Section 504 and the Right of Disabled People to Live in their Communities The nine states say that a rule about the integration mandate published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is unlawful and unconstitutional and should be blocked. If they are su...

thearc.org/blog/texas-a...

US defense attorneys' view on autism highlights challenges faced by neurodiverse clients A new study on how U.S. defense attorneys think about autism and use strategies informed by neurodiversity in their work finds that attorneys saw autism through a medical lens and acknowledged the nee...

Ever wonder how criminal defense lawyers perceive their autistic clients? A new study may give us a window of insight into this question. phys.org/news/2026-01...

Mother says LA school calls police over autistic kindergartner’s behavior Asia Terry says Lake Street Primary in LA’s Westlake is criminalizing her son’s disability.

Calling the police on a kindergartner isn’t safe. Dthree demands support, not criminalization. We need safe havens for neurodivergent kids, not a prison pipeline. #Dthree #StopTheShock www.foxla.com/news/lake-st...

Crime victims with neurodevelopmental disorders may experience victim blaming A recent study shows that people judge crime victims with neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome) based on both the type of disability and the type of cri...

phys.org/news/2026-01...

Law and Mental Health: Autism Spectrum Disorder and Its Impacts on Criminal-Legal Outcomes YouTube video by UNM Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

An information-packed webinar with Dr. Colleen Berryessa from Jan 23, 2026, on ASD and its impact on criminal legal outcomes. www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7tf...

Trauma-Informed Care in the Criminal Justice System: Supporting the Emotional and Physical Wellness of Autistic Individuals Autistic individuals face unique challenges in the Criminal Justice System. Trauma-informed care can improve outcomes.

Trauma-Informed Care is key to autistic safety in the criminal legal system. Vital read from Autism Spectrum News autismspectrumnews.org/trauma-infor...

Amid ‘Catastrophic’ Shortage, Psychologists Flee Federal Prisons in Droves With fewer and fewer employees to run the prisons, psychologists were repeatedly forced to act as guards.

The federal prison system has a significant shortage of psychologists, and longtime bureau employees say the effect is catastrophic.

With fewer and fewer employees to run the prisons, psychologists were repeatedly forced to act as guards.