Project sheds light on disability born of alcohol

[icymist]

Tuesday, April 5, 2005

Project sheds light on disability born of alcohol
Afflicted at risk of trouble with the legal system

By TRACY JOHNSON
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

When police questioned Gabe Baddeley about a fire set in the teachers' lounge of the local high school, he said he did it.

At first, he was wrong on some of the details. But he bent his description of the crime to fit what Prosser police told him.

He'd already served a short jail sentence by the time he was exonerated.

Baddeley, 23, suffers from the effects of a mother who drank alcohol while pregnant. Being highly suggestible and overly willing to tell authorities what he thinks they want to hear are symptoms.

And his case is just one reason University of Washington researchers want to identify people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders who have run-ins with the law -- and most of them do -- to better address their needs and help them stay out of trouble.

The federally funded project -- involving King County prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, mental health professionals and others -- is aimed at recognizing the disability for what it is: brain damage that makes people more likely to end up in court and less able to navigate the system when they do
(more)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/218817_fetal05.html

[donsu]

1. kick - this is very important

nt

[icymist]

2. Thank you. I felt in my heart that this article was important.

I only hope it helps by posting it here.

[Merlin]

3. Donsu said it. This is very important. But better tests are needed.

There's way too much subjectivity in this piece, as good as it is. It's not going to convince those who believe this is just a liberal plea for going easy on criminals.

Rock solid data is needed to validate these suspicions. Based on this story, it doesn't seem like it would be too difficult a subject to study.

[Bigmack]

4. Revolutionary!

I don't mean the idea that Fetal Alcohol Syndrome causes horrible physical and psychological damage. Enough studies have been done on FAS to fill a stadium.

What's revolutionary is the idea that FAS people may not be able to control their behavior - and thereby commit crimes - because of incurable brain damage before birth. They simply aren't responsible for their actions.

Our prisons are full of FAS people who have committed crimes. I'm not suggesting they be turned loose, but isn't there another way of treating people with severe brain damage who can't control their actions?

In a country that still executes retarded people and generally doesn't believe in science.... a country that's retreating to the religion of the12th century.....I guess there isn't another way.

Perhaps in the civilized world a way can be found to deal with victims of FAS.

[donsu]

5. at least sane countries around the world can begin to act on this info

even if america can't