Episode 288: Recognizing Defendants’ Disabilities

The criminal legal system often misunderstands—and mishandles—people with intellectual disabilities. Law professor Katie Kronick explains how and why these individuals so often fall through the cracks in a system built around efficiency and rigid rules. She breaks down the stakes with real examples, including a high-profile death penalty case now before the Supreme Court, and shares ideas for building a criminal justice system that recognizes and respects the needs of defendants with intellectual disabilities.

For more on this topic: 

• Read Kronick's amicus brief for the Supreme Court case Hamm v. Smith

• Check out her essay in the Sentencing Matters Substack: Why is it So Hard for Courts to Adjust to Advancements in Knowledge of Human Behavior?

• Read her op-ed in the Baltimore Sun: The Criminal Legal System Is Failing People With Intellectual Disabilities