[VIRTUAL] Competence & Individuals with IDD

Navigating the Competency to Stand Trial System for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental 

There are more than 25,000 incarcerated individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the United States,[1] and between 12.5 and 36 percent of the individuals with an IDD who undergo evaluations are found to be incompetent to stand trial (IST).[2] In the face of the disproportionate involvement of people with IDD in the criminal justice system, the current competency system is lacking IDD-specific evaluations, restoration programs, and resources to provide appropriate assessments and supports for this population.   

This webinar will discuss considerations related to the IDD population regarding raising the question of competence, competency evaluations, and competence restoration processes. Our presenter will provide information to help attorneys and other criminal justice professionals more appropriately distinguish between IDD and competency issues related to mental disorders and advocate for necessary supports for this population. This webinar will also present ways that competency restoration programs may be tailored for individuals with IDD to meet their specific needs. 

Presenters

• Mary Elizabeth Wood, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 

Citations

1. Laura M. Maruschak, Jennifer Bronson, and Mariel Alper, Disabilities Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2021).
2. The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability, Competency of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System: A Call to Action for the Criminal Justice Community (Washington, DC: author, 2017).