Procedural Justice for Arrested Youth with Reduced Mental Capacity: A Qualitative Study and Arts-Based Timelines Approach

The existing literature has extensively examined procedural justice in police-citizen interactions, but scant attention has been given to the criminal justice response to individuals with special educational needs, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). Navigating the criminal justice system can be challenging due to anxiety and
sensory overload. Our focus is on ensuring fair treatment within the policing processes and exploring through a qualitative study involving youths with special educational needs. Our project delves into the lived experiences of these youths with police officers by examining participants’ perceptions of fairness, communicative courtesy, opportunities for expression, and the adequacy of explanations, as well as addressing stigma, self-stigma, and discrimination. To
ensure participant well-being, we employed a mixed qualitative method, integrating visual timelines with semi-structured interviews. The visual timeline method, applied in a qualitative study with 20 mentally incapacitated youth, used drawings, art-based activities, Lego bricks, and narratives to unpack their emotions and thoughts during their encounters with police officers.
Utilizing QRS NVivo Plus (V12) software, we analyzed data, gaining insights into data collection methods and relevant findings for this population.