Mental Retardation Today

1 Pages 214 Words

The AAMR also states that:
People with mental retardation should not be eligible for the death penalty. This is not to suggest that people with mental retardation should not be punished when they break the law, nor does it suggest that people with mental retardation are not responsible for their actions.
It suggests that people with mental retardation cannot be held culpable for crimes to the extent that the death penalty would be considered an appropriate punishment.
There are several possibilities for miscommunication when a person with mental retardation comes in contact with a person in authority. The Arc has put together a list of some common responses that may affect a person with mental retardation's ability to protect their rights during police contact.
• The person may:
• not want disability to be recognized (and try to cover it up)
• not understand rights (but pretend to understand)
• not understand commands
• be overwhelmed by police presence
• act upset at being detained and/or run away
• say what he or she thinks others want to hear
• have difficulty describing facts or details of offense
• be the first to leave the scene of the crime, and the first to get caught
• be confused about who is responsible for the crime and "confess" even though innocent

Up to day, 35 inmates suffering from Mental Retardation and other brain damage have been executed...