"Depending on the statistics you read, approximately one-third of the inmates in U.S. jails and prisons have some sort of mental disability. It has become cliche to say that our jails and prisons have become de facto mental institutions. How did we reach this point? Representing People with Mental Disabilities: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers takes a look at the challenges and opportunities that are presented in these types of cases. For criminal defense lawyers of all types, clients with mental disabilities are a part of their practice. This ranges from the white-collar criminal defense lawyer who represents an executive charged with tax evasion who functions in spite of a variety of conditions which he keeps hidden, to the public defender assigned as standby or advisory counsel for the defendant who wants to represent himself at trial, to the sole practitioner representing the man with Asperger's charged with possession of child pornography on his computer. Representing People with Mental Disabilities is easy-to-read and easy-to-navigate. It is intended that you can throw the book in your briefcase on the way to the courthouse, or load it on your tablet and turn to the appropriate chapter or chapters when needed. If you want to learn more about a topic, the Suggested Works section at the end of the book contains titles of books and articles as well as websites. Additionally, many chapters contain the statement at the end, "Complete citations are available from the author/authors upon request." The accompanying website has motions and pleadings which you can adapt to your jurisdiction." --

This book examines how those with disabilities, and in particular, the Deaf and hard-of-hearing, are impacted by the influence language and culture in policing, criminal law, and corrections. Frequently left out of policy making and research, almost no resources exist that can inform and aid law enforcement, legal, and correctional officials on culturally competent interactions with the Deaf and hard-of-hearing. As a result, this group is at a distinct disadvantage when dealing with law enforcement or the courts as well as being vastly underserved, which often lead to negative outcomes for the Deaf suspect/defendant/inmate as they attempt to interact with law enforcement and navigate the legal system. In a step-by-step presentation from arrest to incarceration each chapter will discuss a specific part of the legal system. As well as providing information on the topic, this book can serve as an important resource to the myriad of issues and difficulties that may be experiences by the Deaf suspect, defendant, or inmate, as well as by law enforcement officers, attorneys, and correctional officers. To illustrate these issues, previous cases of Deaf suspects, defendants, and inmates will be presented and discussed to clarify key issues and to provide a perspective of the problem. Each chapter dealing with these issues will also provide suggestions for more culturally competent interactions between the Deaf community and the legal system.