Introduction
In the Baldry and Dowse article, it is identified that there has been increased handling of criminals with mental and cognitive disabilities. The article further highlights that police officers are seen as managers who effectively handle the situations of such individuals especially in cells and prisons among other places. A justification of the statement as briefed in the article is that most of the mentally and cognitive disabled individuals have a higher rate of contact with police officers throughout their lives. This essay critically reviews the Baldry and Dowse’s article ‘compounding mental and cognitive disability: police as care managers’ with a view of providing an insight into the care of people with mental and cognitive disabilities with respect to the Australian criminal justice system.
The Key Arguments Covered
Complex needs
In their article, Baldry and Dowse state that most people who handle individuals mental and cognitive disabilities fail to understand the behaviours and needs of the patients. The complexity of the needs of such patients requires a deeper understanding since they are multifaceted. They draw attention from five major sources namely demographic, health and disability, socioeconomic issues, early life, and criminal justice contact issues.
Involvement in Criminal Justice
The article brings into light the involvement of the criminal justice system in handling mentally impaired individuals because most of these people are categorised into either offenders or victims. Usually, the police have difficulty in dealing with such individuals since many of the officers are not specialists to handle the cases. In a personal viewpoint, the use of police to management queer situations that are caused by mentally incapacitated individuals is the best regardless of the severe anxiety that can arise among them.
Police First Contact
The article also reveals that earlier contacts of the mentally impaired individuals with police officers are essential for prevention of crime commitment for the rest of their lives. In addition, the article indicates that the right time to tame cognitive complexes is during their teenage age (about 14 years). A major problem that is experienced is the considerably low rate at which the police officers meet these individuals at teenage.
First Police and Juvenile Justice Contact
Police officers provide more support to cases of mental disabilities even before the children can be taken to juvenile custodies. This situation is experienced because a laxity is seen in other institutions such as hospitals and social works. The juvenile justice is achieved thereafter to correct offending behaviours that are portrayed by such people.
Police Custody
Most of the mentally impaired individuals are taken to police custodies because of public outcry, safety, and wellbeing of the individuals themselves. This practice is aimed at reducing homelessness and risk of committing offences among others.
Police Contact over Time
A greater percentage of police contact is achieved when the individuals are identified and met at teenage. Therefore, effective management is required at an earlier stage of identification of the problem.
The Text’s Position with Disability in Relation to Criminal Justice in Australia
Mental and cognitive disabilities are critical issues that result in cost escalation due to the frequent problems that are caused by the individuals with such problems. The justice systems of Australia have put such issues amongst their primary considerations to minimise the public outcry and damages.
The health sectors together with other institutions that are supposed to deal with such incidences have developed laxity; hence, a rise in incidences of crime is evident in the region. A way of reducing crime incidences that are caused by the mentally incapacitated individuals is the involvement of the police in the rehabilitation programs. As a result, I support the Australian justice system since it performs such duties.
How the Essay Informs Critical Thinking on Disability
The essay elaborates on the involvement of the Australian government and other stakeholders in effective handling of mental and cognitive disability incidences. The intervention of the criminal justice system through the police is taken as vital for handling such problems. However, effective handling of mentally and cognitively impaired individuals should also involve the government through social works and mental healthcare services among others. Relevant stakeholders should also monitor the situations of the individuals at every stage of their life.
Conclusion
Organisations that handle mentally handicapped people should work together to ensure health, safety, security, and reduction of damages. In Australia, this practice can be effectively achieved when the police body is involved in the implementation of the programs. It is clear that most governments around the world use the police to handle cases that are brought about by the mentally impaired individuals. These people should be contacted at earlier stages in an effort to reduce damages as seen from the article. Parents should also report cases of children with mental problems to the relevant organs to enhance close monitoring of their situations as well as treatment progress.