April 27, 2025 • 16 mins
Christine Vester shares her mission with Humanity Over Handcuffs, a national advocacy movement protecting autistic individuals from being criminalized by the justice system.
Her organization supports families, educates legal professionals, and works toward reforming a system that often treats neurological differences as criminal behavior.
• Autistic behaviors like lack of eye contact, shutdowns, and sensory overload often misinterpreted by police as aggression or defiance
• Families seeking help unexpectedly find themselves battling a legal system unprepared to understand autism
• Courts routinely fail to consider autism as a mitigating factor, treating autistic individuals like typical defendants
• Prison environments create traumatic sensory overload for autistic individuals, who may face targeting by other inmates
• Incarceration carries long-lasting consequences, creating barriers to housing, employment, and community reintegration
• Humanity Over Handcuffs is developing resources connecting families with attorneys, mental health professionals, and support systems
• Change requires judges, attorneys, legislators, and CIT trainers working together to create more compassionate approaches
You're not alone and not powerless.
Our children are not broken, autism is not a crime, and together we can show what justice should really look like—humanity first.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to why Not Me ?
The World Podcast, hosted byTony Mantor, broadcasting from
Music City, usa, nashville,tennessee.
Join us as our guests tell ustheir stories.
Some will make you laugh, somewill make you cry.
Their stories Some will makeyou laugh, some will make you
(00:30):
cry.
Real life people who willinspire and show that you are
not alone in this world.
Hopefully, you gain moreawareness, acceptance and a
better understanding for autismaround the world.
Hi, I'm Tony Mantor.
(00:52):
Welcome to why Not Me?
The World.
Humanity Over Handcuffs theSilent Crisis Special Event.
Joining us today is ChristineVester.
She founded Humanity OverHandcuffs with the initiative of
breaking the silence on thecrisis facing autistic and
neurodiverse individuals in thejustice system.
Through expert insights and acall for compassion over
(01:15):
punishment, she is leading thecharge to transform lives and
systems.
She joins us today as weexplore her mission to put
humanity first and why her workmatters to us all.
Thanks for coming on.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Thank you, chani, thank you for having me on.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
You're the founder of Humanity Over Handcuffs, a
national advocacy effort focusedon protecting autistic
individuals in the justicesystem.
Can you share what the movementis and why it was so important
for you to create it?
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Humanity Over Handcuffs is still in the early
stages, but it's already becomea lifeline for families because
of your podcast and the platformand everyone that's joined in
for the 60-Day Project.
It was born from therealization that autistic
individuals are beingmisunderstood, criminalized and
abandoned by a system thatreally should be helping them.
(02:05):
We're building more than amovement.
We're building a future, aplace where families can find
support, legal tools andresources and bridge that gap.
Our website is currently beingdeveloped and will be a
centralized hub where familiescan access vital information,
connect with families, connectwith advocates and find real
(02:27):
solutions.
It's just the beginning.
We're laying a strongfoundation to create real change
.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
That's a list of very important things for people to
have access to.
Now.
What are some of the commondynamics that can happen when
police respond to a callinvolving someone this autistic?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Unfortunately, what often happens is an autistic
individual is reallymisunderstood.
When an autistic person is indistress especially when an
officer is coming and they'renot aware that they're autistic
which I always say when you'remaking a phone call to police,
make sure you let them know.
Their behaviors may lookunusual to a police officer,
(03:04):
noncompliant, lack of eyecontact, shutdowns, even sensory
overload, can be misread asaggression or defiant when
they're really not.
We as a family know ourchildren, know our loved ones
when they're autistic.
We live it, breathe it andexperience it all day.
Some police officers are noteducated in this area.
(03:25):
What's really happening is thebrain is really overwhelmed and
their sensory overload is justlike it's firing off.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
So how do families seeking support wind up battling
the legal system?
What happened?
What caused this outcome toescalate into something they
didn't plan on having to do?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
The system treats neurological differences like a
criminal behavior, and that hasto change.
We have to do better.
We see it in the news every dayand you know we have judges and
attorneys and houserepresentatives and families
coming forward on this podcast.
So I really hope that theprosecutors and judges really
listen to this.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
So when a family calls for help, they do it for
the right reasons, but then itcan go in a way that they never
saw coming.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Exactly.
They don't call expecting thatthey're going to get a criminal
record.
They don't expect.
You know I hate to say this,but sometimes guns get drawn at
them.
They're looking for help,protection and understanding and
they're met with a systemthat's not prepared and I'm not
anti-police, there are somereally good police officers out
there.
Unfortunately you hear it inthe news there's things that
(04:40):
happen.
You know, the CIT trainers arereally trying to push for better
training at a street level andit should be on a federal level.
Just as if they were carryingtheir firearms, they can't go
out until they fully trained.
It should be the same way withautistic individuals and mental
health.
There should be a training,because once that first moment
turns into an arrest, it's hardto reverse that damage.
(05:02):
It could be life or death, andeven to an officer that's in
that position and somethingtragic happens.
They go home to their familyand they have to live with this
too.
It just we have to do better.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
I speak with families across the country consistently
and unfortunately, this is nota regional situation, it's a
national one.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
It is.
We're seeing it at a local,state and federal level, from
police intercept in a statecourts in the federal courts.
Autistic individuals arearrested basically for their
behaviors, not because they'redangerous, but because the
system misreads their needs.
This isn't about intent, it'sabout misunderstanding and we
(05:44):
need a national response, andthat's why I'm so grateful
you're giving the families andthe attorneys and house
representatives, cit trainers, aplatform to talk about this.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
If, after everything is said and done, an arrest
happens, what are the thingsthat the family will be facing
when all this starts?
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Families enter into a legal system that doesn't often
understand autism at all.
That's what I've found.
I've been in the courtrooms.
I've talked to the families.
I've watched how this is allplaying out.
Prosecutors, judges, evendefense attorneys aren't always
trained in how autism affectscommunication or their behaviors
or intent behind it.
(06:23):
They're not career criminals.
They have a disability.
The gap leads to harmfulassumptions in a courtroom and
that's dangerous.
Autistic people may struggle toanswer questions clearly.
They might stim, avoid eyecontact or become nonverbal
under pressure, but the systemthinks it's a suspicious
behavior or disrespectful oruncooperative.
(06:46):
It's a complete unfair lens.
I know some that we hearstories about that they think
that they're being aggressivewhen they're really distressed
and they're trying to calm theirself down.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
From what I've heard, the court system sometimes
gives the autistic individual areal disadvantage.
It can feel very punishing and,of course, very overwhelming to
them.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yes, and families are forced to educate at every step
of the level.
I've seen cases where autismwasn't even mentioned at the
mitigation factor, or wherelawyers refuse to even bring in
experts, forensic psychologists.
The individual then is treatedlike a typical defendant, when
that process is really differentfor an autistic individual.
(07:33):
They process the world entirelydifferent.
That's why Humanity, overHandcuffs, is trying to step in
the movement, the series thatwe're doing.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
This can be so overwhelming for the parents
involved.
Where do you step in with yourcharity to help those families?
Speaker 2 (07:50):
We support families by helping them advocate more
effectively, connect the gaps,work with professionals and
understand autism and educatethe legal teams.
But we go further than that,where we work directly with the
legal teams to change theculture from inside.
Like I said, we're working withthe judges that are coming on,
we're working with houserepresentatives, we're working
(08:10):
with legislation, CIT trainers.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
So, even though you're trying to help the
families get through this wholeordeal, you're still out there
working to try and actuallyreform the whole legal system
itself.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yes, exactly.
We speak to judges, attorneysand prosecutors.
They're coming on to your showand being a voice about how
autism affects perception,behavior and intent.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I use the word perception a lot in my business
because perception is everyone'sreality, whether it's true or
not.
So what's true is that in thelegal system an autistic person
is completely different andbecause of that needs to be
treated as such, can't betreated the same way as others.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
This isn't about leniency.
It's about justice, and we'vegot to do better.
You can't treat someone thesame as a neurotypical defendant
, career criminal, and call itfair if they experience reality
in a completely different waywhich with autistic individuals
they do.
And when we treat it like this,we end up punishing people for
(09:15):
how their brain works, for theirdisability, not for a real
danger they've caused.
Autism deserves informedunderstanding, not incarceration
.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Let's focus on something that's a little more
concerning to the families, andthat's incarceration.
What are some of the challengesan autistic person faces when
they're incarcerated?
What are some of the challengesan autistic person faces when
they're incarcerated?
What are some of the difficultsituations they might come into
while they're in there?
And then how is it to interactwith not only just the prisoners
(09:46):
but the guards that are there?
Speaker 2 (09:49):
When they become incarcerated.
Prison is really harsh.
It could be a death sentence.
We've talked to families andit's heartbreaking.
It's chaotic.
It's a chaotic environment Foran autistic person.
It can be traumatizing, notonly for the person that's in
the facility but for thefamilies, because they're told
(10:10):
there's nothing they can do,which is not true.
You have to advocate reallyhard.
There's noise, it's lights, themovement lights flickering,
lack of control, sensoryoverload, strict routines,
shouting.
It's a nightmare scenario.
Autistic individuals may havemeltdowns and withdraw
completely.
They might be punished for thebehaviors that are actually
(10:32):
signs of distress and it'sreally hard for an officer or a
correctional officer to reallyunderstand.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yeah, and I've also heard that sometimes they can be
put into solitary confinement.
That must really affect them aswell.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Solitary confinement don't get me started on this is
often used because they have toseparate them sometimes, which
can do so much harm on them.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
What about the staff and, of course, the other
inmates as well?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Staff may not understand the needs of someone
with a development disability,and other inmates may actually
target them, use them becausethey're so naive, and even rape
them.
And I know we don't like to saythis, but it happens.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
I've heard that the prison system is very, very
rough on autistic individuals,so can you expand on some of the
things that affect them andeven after they're ultimately
released?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
It is very damaging.
And it doesn't stop there.
When someone's released afterthey've been incarcerated,
they're expected to reenter intoa world that hasn't changed and
without the support they need.
Probation rules may be toorigid, you know.
Services are scattered.
Housing, employment are nearlyimpossible to secure with a
record.
If some of them get a felony,which could be a life sentence
(11:45):
to them, families are leftpicking up the pieces to survive
, wondering, you know, if theydie, who's going to take care of
them?
That is a real fear, and someparents can't sleep at night.
Some of the judges we've talkedto and CIT trainers they have
autistic individuals.
These are real things, yes, andthey have those fears as well.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Yeah, that seems like a very, very tough situation.
It almost seems like it's asecond sentence in a very
different way.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yes, it's like a second sentence.
That's why we're fighting forchange at every stage, from the
arrest to the courtroom, toincarceration, to re-entry.
There has to be diversionprograms.
They just have to do better.
We want to have continuing care, education for correctional
staff and real pathways backinto the community that respect
(12:36):
neurodiversity.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Now, I know you have a website.
Can you expand and give us alittle more information on how
people can find you?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
We're developing a website that will be a one-stop
resource hub for families,connecting them with attorneys,
mental health professionals,helping with the diversion
programs, re-entry planning.
Yes, it'll offer links,documents, supporting tools and
training guides, all focused onautism and justice reform.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
That's great information.
It gives the person an avenueto look for help if they need it
, and hopefully they never do.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
And none of this would be possible without the
people walking alongside of usdoing this 60-day podcast series
.
All the judges and attorneysand house representatives that
have come forward to talk aboutwhat's happening in the system,
and I want to thank each andevery one of them.
The judges who have opened uptheir courtrooms to change.
They have the one in Nevada.
(13:32):
It's a whole court, one of akind, and it's all for autistic
individuals, but that's atelling sign that it's becoming
more prevalent in a state andfederal level.
The House representatives whoare listening and helping to
move legislation forward.
The CIT trainers who areeducating fiercely the officers
out there to respond withcompassion and de-escalate.
The Bureau of Prison you knowwe've spoke to them for a safer
(13:55):
space, you know, for autisticindividuals.
And then the families who speakout.
I encourage them to bridge thatgap with their representatives
and attorneys and judges andprosecutors and share their
story.
It's the only way to bridgethat gap and remind the world
that isn't just policy, it'spersonal, these are human beings
.
We're going to look back 10years from now and say what were
(14:16):
we thinking?
Putting someone with autism,having that kind of disability,
giving them that kind ofsentence?
It could be a death sentenceand it's really tough because I
think if you've been in thisenvironment and understand it,
it's harsh and it's devastatingand we have to do better.
There has to be another way ofdoing this.
It's common sense.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Yes, I agree, common sense is very important.
Now, in closing, give ourlisteners something that you
think is very important, thatthey need to hear about what
you're trying to do.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
The biggest thing that I hope that everyone takes
away from this is you're notalone, you're not powerless when
they tell you there's nothingyou can do.
I encourage families, lawyers,judges, please get involved,
please listen to the podcast,please listen to the families.
Our children are not broken.
These individuals are notbroken.
(15:11):
Autism is not a crime and itshould never be treated like one
.
Keep speaking, keep speaking,keep advocating and know that
humanity over handcuffs, isright here, fighting with you
the shift, the system and toremind what justice should
really look like, and that'shumanity.
First.
We've got to have somecompassion, we've got to do
better, because what we justheard in the news lately
(15:32):
happening to an autisticindividual nobody wants to hear
that.
We don't want it to become atragedy before something changes
.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Yes, I agree 100%.
Well, this has been great Greatconversation, great information
.
I really appreciate you takingthe time to come on.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Thank you, Tony we're just getting started and thank
you from the bottom of my heartfor being a voice for millions,
Actually being a voice for thejudges and attorneys and CIT
trainers and Bureau of Prison.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
It's been my pleasure .
Thanks again.
Thanks for taking the time outof your busy schedule to listen
to our show today.
We hope that you enjoyed it asmuch as we enjoyed bringing it
to you.
If you know anyone that wouldlike to tell us their story,
(16:21):
send them to TonyMantorcomContact then they can give us
their information so one daythey may be a guest on our show.
One more thing we ask telleveryone everywhere about why
Not Me, the world, theconversations we're having and
(16:42):
the inspiration our guests giveto everyone everywhere that you
are not alone in this world.
Welcome to why Not Me ?
The World Podcast, hosted byTony Mantor, broadcasting from
Music City, usa, nashville,tennessee.
Join us as our guests tell ustheir stories.
Some will make you laugh, somewill make you cry.
Their stories Some will makeyou laugh, some will make you
(00:30):
cry.
Real life people who willinspire and show that you are
not alone in this world.
Hopefully, you gain moreawareness, acceptance and a
better understanding for autismaround the world.
Hi, I'm Tony Mantor.
(00:52):
Welcome to why Not Me?
The World.
Humanity Over Handcuffs theSilent Crisis Special Event.
Joining us today is ChristineVester.
She founded Humanity OverHandcuffs with the initiative of
breaking the silence on thecrisis facing autistic and
neurodiverse individuals in thejustice system.
Through expert insights and acall for compassion over
(01:15):
punishment, she is leading thecharge to transform lives and
systems.
She joins us today as weexplore her mission to put
humanity first and why her workmatters to us all.
Thanks for coming on.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Thank you, chani, thank you for having me on.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
You're the founder of Humanity Over Handcuffs, a
national advocacy effort focusedon protecting autistic
individuals in the justicesystem.
Can you share what the movementis and why it was so important
for you to create it?
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Humanity Over Handcuffs is still in the early
stages, but it's already becomea lifeline for families because
of your podcast and the platformand everyone that's joined in
for the 60-Day Project.
It was born from therealization that autistic
individuals are beingmisunderstood, criminalized and
abandoned by a system thatreally should be helping them.
(02:05):
We're building more than amovement.
We're building a future, aplace where families can find
support, legal tools andresources and bridge that gap.
Our website is currently beingdeveloped and will be a
centralized hub where familiescan access vital information,
connect with families, connectwith advocates and find real
(02:27):
solutions.
It's just the beginning.
We're laying a strongfoundation to create real change
.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
That's a list of very important things for people to
have access to.
Now.
What are some of the commondynamics that can happen when
police respond to a callinvolving someone this autistic?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Unfortunately, what often happens is an autistic
individual is reallymisunderstood.
When an autistic person is indistress especially when an
officer is coming and they'renot aware that they're autistic
which I always say when you'remaking a phone call to police,
make sure you let them know.
Their behaviors may lookunusual to a police officer,
(03:04):
noncompliant, lack of eyecontact, shutdowns, even sensory
overload, can be misread asaggression or defiant when
they're really not.
We as a family know ourchildren, know our loved ones
when they're autistic.
We live it, breathe it andexperience it all day.
Some police officers are noteducated in this area.
(03:25):
What's really happening is thebrain is really overwhelmed and
their sensory overload is justlike it's firing off.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
So how do families seeking support wind up battling
the legal system?
What happened?
What caused this outcome toescalate into something they
didn't plan on having to do?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
The system treats neurological differences like a
criminal behavior, and that hasto change.
We have to do better.
We see it in the news every dayand you know we have judges and
attorneys and houserepresentatives and families
coming forward on this podcast.
So I really hope that theprosecutors and judges really
listen to this.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
So when a family calls for help, they do it for
the right reasons, but then itcan go in a way that they never
saw coming.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Exactly.
They don't call expecting thatthey're going to get a criminal
record.
They don't expect.
You know I hate to say this,but sometimes guns get drawn at
them.
They're looking for help,protection and understanding and
they're met with a systemthat's not prepared and I'm not
anti-police, there are somereally good police officers out
there.
Unfortunately you hear it inthe news there's things that
(04:40):
happen.
You know, the CIT trainers arereally trying to push for better
training at a street level andit should be on a federal level.
Just as if they were carryingtheir firearms, they can't go
out until they fully trained.
It should be the same way withautistic individuals and mental
health.
There should be a training,because once that first moment
turns into an arrest, it's hardto reverse that damage.
(05:02):
It could be life or death, andeven to an officer that's in
that position and somethingtragic happens.
They go home to their familyand they have to live with this
too.
It just we have to do better.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
I speak with families across the country consistently
and unfortunately, this is nota regional situation, it's a
national one.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
It is.
We're seeing it at a local,state and federal level, from
police intercept in a statecourts in the federal courts.
Autistic individuals arearrested basically for their
behaviors, not because they'redangerous, but because the
system misreads their needs.
This isn't about intent, it'sabout misunderstanding and we
(05:44):
need a national response, andthat's why I'm so grateful
you're giving the families andthe attorneys and house
representatives, cit trainers, aplatform to talk about this.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
If, after everything is said and done, an arrest
happens, what are the thingsthat the family will be facing
when all this starts?
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Families enter into a legal system that doesn't often
understand autism at all.
That's what I've found.
I've been in the courtrooms.
I've talked to the families.
I've watched how this is allplaying out.
Prosecutors, judges, evendefense attorneys aren't always
trained in how autism affectscommunication or their behaviors
or intent behind it.
(06:23):
They're not career criminals.
They have a disability.
The gap leads to harmfulassumptions in a courtroom and
that's dangerous.
Autistic people may struggle toanswer questions clearly.
They might stim, avoid eyecontact or become nonverbal
under pressure, but the systemthinks it's a suspicious
behavior or disrespectful oruncooperative.
(06:46):
It's a complete unfair lens.
I know some that we hearstories about that they think
that they're being aggressivewhen they're really distressed
and they're trying to calm theirself down.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
From what I've heard, the court system sometimes
gives the autistic individual areal disadvantage.
It can feel very punishing and,of course, very overwhelming to
them.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yes, and families are forced to educate at every step
of the level.
I've seen cases where autismwasn't even mentioned at the
mitigation factor, or wherelawyers refuse to even bring in
experts, forensic psychologists.
The individual then is treatedlike a typical defendant, when
that process is really differentfor an autistic individual.
(07:33):
They process the world entirelydifferent.
That's why Humanity, overHandcuffs, is trying to step in
the movement, the series thatwe're doing.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
This can be so overwhelming for the parents
involved.
Where do you step in with yourcharity to help those families?
Speaker 2 (07:50):
We support families by helping them advocate more
effectively, connect the gaps,work with professionals and
understand autism and educatethe legal teams.
But we go further than that,where we work directly with the
legal teams to change theculture from inside.
Like I said, we're working withthe judges that are coming on,
we're working with houserepresentatives, we're working
(08:10):
with legislation, CIT trainers.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
So, even though you're trying to help the
families get through this wholeordeal, you're still out there
working to try and actuallyreform the whole legal system
itself.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yes, exactly.
We speak to judges, attorneysand prosecutors.
They're coming on to your showand being a voice about how
autism affects perception,behavior and intent.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I use the word perception a lot in my business
because perception is everyone'sreality, whether it's true or
not.
So what's true is that in thelegal system an autistic person
is completely different andbecause of that needs to be
treated as such, can't betreated the same way as others.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
This isn't about leniency.
It's about justice, and we'vegot to do better.
You can't treat someone thesame as a neurotypical defendant
, career criminal, and call itfair if they experience reality
in a completely different waywhich with autistic individuals
they do.
And when we treat it like this,we end up punishing people for
(09:15):
how their brain works, for theirdisability, not for a real
danger they've caused.
Autism deserves informedunderstanding, not incarceration
.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Let's focus on something that's a little more
concerning to the families, andthat's incarceration.
What are some of the challengesan autistic person faces when
they're incarcerated?
What are some of the challengesan autistic person faces when
they're incarcerated?
What are some of the difficultsituations they might come into
while they're in there?
And then how is it to interactwith not only just the prisoners
(09:46):
but the guards that are there?
Speaker 2 (09:49):
When they become incarcerated.
Prison is really harsh.
It could be a death sentence.
We've talked to families andit's heartbreaking.
It's chaotic.
It's a chaotic environment Foran autistic person.
It can be traumatizing, notonly for the person that's in
the facility but for thefamilies, because they're told
(10:10):
there's nothing they can do,which is not true.
You have to advocate reallyhard.
There's noise, it's lights, themovement lights flickering,
lack of control, sensoryoverload, strict routines,
shouting.
It's a nightmare scenario.
Autistic individuals may havemeltdowns and withdraw
completely.
They might be punished for thebehaviors that are actually
(10:32):
signs of distress and it'sreally hard for an officer or a
correctional officer to reallyunderstand.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yeah, and I've also heard that sometimes they can be
put into solitary confinement.
That must really affect them aswell.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Solitary confinement don't get me started on this is
often used because they have toseparate them sometimes, which
can do so much harm on them.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
What about the staff and, of course, the other
inmates as well?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Staff may not understand the needs of someone
with a development disability,and other inmates may actually
target them, use them becausethey're so naive, and even rape
them.
And I know we don't like to saythis, but it happens.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
I've heard that the prison system is very, very
rough on autistic individuals,so can you expand on some of the
things that affect them andeven after they're ultimately
released?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
It is very damaging.
And it doesn't stop there.
When someone's released afterthey've been incarcerated,
they're expected to reenter intoa world that hasn't changed and
without the support they need.
Probation rules may be toorigid, you know.
Services are scattered.
Housing, employment are nearlyimpossible to secure with a
record.
If some of them get a felony,which could be a life sentence
(11:45):
to them, families are leftpicking up the pieces to survive
, wondering, you know, if theydie, who's going to take care of
them?
That is a real fear, and someparents can't sleep at night.
Some of the judges we've talkedto and CIT trainers they have
autistic individuals.
These are real things, yes, andthey have those fears as well.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Yeah, that seems like a very, very tough situation.
It almost seems like it's asecond sentence in a very
different way.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yes, it's like a second sentence.
That's why we're fighting forchange at every stage, from the
arrest to the courtroom, toincarceration, to re-entry.
There has to be diversionprograms.
They just have to do better.
We want to have continuing care, education for correctional
staff and real pathways backinto the community that respect
(12:36):
neurodiversity.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Now, I know you have a website.
Can you expand and give us alittle more information on how
people can find you?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
We're developing a website that will be a one-stop
resource hub for families,connecting them with attorneys,
mental health professionals,helping with the diversion
programs, re-entry planning.
Yes, it'll offer links,documents, supporting tools and
training guides, all focused onautism and justice reform.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
That's great information.
It gives the person an avenueto look for help if they need it
, and hopefully they never do.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
And none of this would be possible without the
people walking alongside of usdoing this 60-day podcast series
.
All the judges and attorneysand house representatives that
have come forward to talk aboutwhat's happening in the system,
and I want to thank each andevery one of them.
The judges who have opened uptheir courtrooms to change.
They have the one in Nevada.
(13:32):
It's a whole court, one of akind, and it's all for autistic
individuals, but that's atelling sign that it's becoming
more prevalent in a state andfederal level.
The House representatives whoare listening and helping to
move legislation forward.
The CIT trainers who areeducating fiercely the officers
out there to respond withcompassion and de-escalate.
The Bureau of Prison you knowwe've spoke to them for a safer
(13:55):
space, you know, for autisticindividuals.
And then the families who speakout.
I encourage them to bridge thatgap with their representatives
and attorneys and judges andprosecutors and share their
story.
It's the only way to bridgethat gap and remind the world
that isn't just policy, it'spersonal, these are human beings
.
We're going to look back 10years from now and say what were
(14:16):
we thinking?
Putting someone with autism,having that kind of disability,
giving them that kind ofsentence?
It could be a death sentenceand it's really tough because I
think if you've been in thisenvironment and understand it,
it's harsh and it's devastatingand we have to do better.
There has to be another way ofdoing this.
It's common sense.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Yes, I agree, common sense is very important.
Now, in closing, give ourlisteners something that you
think is very important, thatthey need to hear about what
you're trying to do.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
The biggest thing that I hope that everyone takes
away from this is you're notalone, you're not powerless when
they tell you there's nothingyou can do.
I encourage families, lawyers,judges, please get involved,
please listen to the podcast,please listen to the families.
Our children are not broken.
These individuals are notbroken.
(15:11):
Autism is not a crime and itshould never be treated like one
.
Keep speaking, keep speaking,keep advocating and know that
humanity over handcuffs, isright here, fighting with you
the shift, the system and toremind what justice should
really look like, and that'shumanity.
First.
We've got to have somecompassion, we've got to do
better, because what we justheard in the news lately
(15:32):
happening to an autisticindividual nobody wants to hear
that.
We don't want it to become atragedy before something changes
.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Yes, I agree 100%.
Well, this has been great Greatconversation, great information
.
I really appreciate you takingthe time to come on.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Thank you, Tony we're just getting started and thank
you from the bottom of my heartfor being a voice for millions,
Actually being a voice for thejudges and attorneys and CIT
trainers and Bureau of Prison.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
It's been my pleasure .
Thanks again.
Thanks for taking the time outof your busy schedule to listen
to our show today.
We hope that you enjoyed it asmuch as we enjoyed bringing it
to you.
If you know anyone that wouldlike to tell us their story,
(16:21):
send them to TonyMantorcomContact then they can give us
their information so one daythey may be a guest on our show.
One more thing we ask telleveryone everywhere about why
Not Me, the world, theconversations we're having and
(16:42):
the inspiration our guests giveto everyone everywhere that you
are not alone in this world.
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