Prisons are understaffed, particularly in the medical field, with one psychologist taking care of over 500 or more clients at a time. Moreover, many of the staff in prisons don’t screen for or are uneducated on neurodiversity. This often leads to staff mistaking anxiety or distress for disobedience, rather than a person with autism. Getting medication to people incarcerated who need it is also an issue. Will Atwood, who is autistic and previously incarcerated, stated that medical staff wouldn’t order his next refill of anxiety medication until he was completely out, and viewed his pleas for medication as harassment. Also, medical care for people with disabilities is found to be inconsistent, as 11% of participants in the Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) study reported their illness wasn’t being treated due to the facility not providing medication. Medical co-pays can be unaffordable for many people with disabilities as well, with some costing as much as a month’s worth of labor or having an additional fee for accommodations.

I’m going to start a thread of an Art Gallery I had with the Gonzaga University’s Criminology department about Neurodivergence and Ableism in the American Criminal Justice System, specifically our Prison and Jail systems.

TRIGGER WARNING: violence, ableism

“For those with sensory sensitivities, the crowded, noisy spaces and bright lights of prison can exacerbate their anxiety and other traits.”

- Peter Hess

Especially as someone who struggles with sensory sensitivities, even places just like the store or academic environments are hard, but there are ways for me to escape those stimuli. Those accommodations aren’t given to incarcerated people, and it can cause meltdowns that staff of prisons and jails misinterpret as “ordinary agitation.”

Honestly, creating this piece was hard for me, not because it itself was difficult, but because every time I worker on it, especially with the hard light contrasts, it would send me into a sensory stimulated migraine.

I’m going to start a thread of an Art Gallery I had with the Gonzaga University’s Criminology department about Neurodivergence and Ableism in the American Criminal Justice System, specifically our Prison and Jail systems.

TRIGGER WARNING: violence, ableism

I wonder what happened to Julie… she’s smiling but doesn’t seem quite as joyful

TW: gun violence

In the beginning steps of the criminal justice system, arrest and/or arriving on scene to a dispatch call, people with mental health needs and disabilities are at greater risk by the responding officers. The Prison Policy Initiative notes, “in 2015, police shot 124 people experiencing a mental health crisis. In 36% of those cases, the officers were called to help the person get medical treatment and shot them instead.” Furthermore, the Prison Policy Initiative says, “Disabled people represent a disproportionate number of those stopped, arrested, and murdered by police.” This discrimination by the police should not be happening. Individuals that are already struggling under societal expectations are put at larger risk than neurotypical people, able-bodied individuals. However, this is not without the racial discrepancies that our in criminal justice system, as people of color are blamed and hurt even more. “The Ruderman Foundation reports that in police use-of-force incidents, media, and police offer blame disabled people for their own victimization, especially by characterizing disabled people of color as ‘threatening’ and ‘refusing to comply’ with instructions,” says the Prison Policy Initiative. It is ignorant to talk about injustice in the criminal justice system without discussing racial disparities—roots of police brutality of people that are disabled and people of color are intertwined.

I’m going to start a thread of an Art Gallery I had with the Gonzaga University’s Criminology department about Neurodivergence and Ableism in the American Criminal Justice System, specifically our Prison and Jail systems.

TRIGGER WARNING: violence, ableism

(1/9)

“Neurodiversity is a term that refers to the different ways the brain can work and interpret information. It highlights that people naturally think about things differently: a neurodivergent brain functions, learns and processes information differently to that of a ‘neurotypical’ brain which functions and processes information in the way society expects.”

“Diagnoses including Dyslexia, Autism, Dyspraxia, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Tourette’s are all conditions which are defined by the presence of a range of neurological differences.”

- Catch 22

I, the artist of this piece, have ADHD and different sensory issues. I specifically wanted to talk about this issue as I know from personal experience that my diagnosis does not just affect my education, as it is typically known as a learning disability, but it affects all aspects of my life, especially social and personal life, so my heart goes out to individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, as I know from my experience that the functions of my brain make substance use more likely, executive dysfunction prevalent, and rejection sensitive dysphoria affect my mental health and my personal life—not everyone has the same experiences as I, but I want to highlight how neurodivergence is not a bad thing, but it greatly affects how society treats neurodivergent people.

I’m going to start a thread of an Art Gallery I had with the Gonzaga University’s Criminology department about Neurodivergence and Ableism in the American Criminal Justice System, specifically our Prison and Jail systems.

TRIGGER WARNING: violence, ableism

That quote that’s like transness was made in the same way wheat was given to us, not yet bread, and wine was given to us, not yet wine, so that we may enjoy the creation of becoming us

Wally is such a lovely painter!

I wonder who’s the master of the home…

CW: horror

What sweet sentiment from Wally!

I’ve heard of an ear worm but THIS IS RIDICULOUS

I’m going to start a thread of an Art Gallery I had with the Gonzaga University’s Criminology department about Neurodivergence and Ableism in the American Criminal Justice System, specifically our Prison and Jail systems.

TRIGGER WARNING: violence, ableism

It’s awful what happened to Barnaby B. Beagle (and whoever else is in those brightly colored boxes!) :(

Teeth! All the better to smile at you!

i’m looking!!! :)

Hey, I’m Matias (he/they), aspiring artist! I love focusing on horror art, posters, and romantic illustrations (the duality of man ig)! Commissions are open so message me about any inquiries!

I’ve been LOVING welcome home lately, really sparking the horror art part of my brain!