Episode 261 - FASD and the Criminal Justice System with Judge Andra Ackerman

“LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, somber people can no longer terrify them.” Psalm 10:17-18

 

Eighty percent of the children diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are in the foster care system. The average age that children with an FASD begin having trouble with the law is 12.8 years old. Fifty percent of individuals with an FASD have a history of confinement in a jail, prison, chemical health treatment facility, or psychiatric hospital. 

 

According to Proof Alliance, FASD behaviors that contribute to these poor outcomes are confabulation, memory challenges, difficulty with impulse control, inability to understand consequences, difficulty connecting cause and effect, and vulnerability to peer pressure. Caregivers of individuals with an FASD are familiar with these behaviors. What can be done to help assure the success of our kids?

 

On this week’s episode of our Orphans No More podcast, host Sandra Flach talks with Albany County Court Judge Andra Ackerman about FASD and the criminal justice system. Over her career, Judge Ackerman has fiercely advocated for vulnerable children in the system. Born to an alcoholic mother, Andra spent time in the foster care system. Her experience fuels her passion for justice for vulnerable youth.   

 

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Links mentioned in this episode:

 

Proof Alliance

FAFASD 50 Facts

FASD Success Podcast

FASD Hope Podcast

Positive Adoption Podcast

FASD Statistics