I recently had some heartbreaking news in my family; a loved one with mild Cerebral Palsy was arrested after experiencing a mental health emergency.
My heart immediately dropped. This could be a recipe for disaster.
When someone living with cerebral palsy experiences a mental health emergency, the last thing they need is handcuffs.
But too often, that’s exactly what they get.
The criminal legal system in the United States is not at all built to respond to disability. It is built to control, punish, and contain.
And when someone with cerebral palsy—a neurological disorder that affects movement, posture, and sometimes communication—experiences a psychiatric crisis, it can trigger a tragic chain of events fueled by misunderstanding, fear, and systemic neglect.
A Perfect Storm of Misunderstanding
Cerebral palsy can cause involuntary movements, muscle stiffness, slurred speech, and difficulty expressing emotions in a “typical” way. These same characteristics can be misinterpreted by untrained police officers as signs of intoxication, defiance, or aggression.
Layer on top of that a mental health episode (panic, delusion, depression, or suicidal ideation) and what you have is a recipe for escalation. What might look like “noncompliance” to a responding officer may actually be a person struggling to process sensory overload or communicate under distress.
Police Are NOT Mental Health Professionals or Responders
Anyone paying attention to the news can see this; they’re ill-equipped and bring a dangerous element of escalation to a situation.
Police officers are not trained social workers, therapists, or disability specialists. In most jurisdictions, the standard police training includes only a few hours on mental health and almost nothing on physical or neurological disabilities.
Yet they are the first responders to nearly 1 in 5 mental health-related 911 calls.
The result? People in crisis with disabilities are criminalized for their conditions.
Time and again, researchers find that individuals with disabilities—including those with cerebral palsy—are significantly more likely to be arrested, incarcerated, and face longer sentences, especially when mental health concerns are involved.
From 911 Call to Jail Cell
A mental health crisis should be a medical emergency, not a criminal one. But too often, calling 911 for help leads to:
Use of force: Misunderstood movements or difficulty following instructions result in tasers, tackles, or restraints.
Jail over care: Instead of being taken to a hospital, the person is booked and charged—sometimes with “resisting arrest,” even if they couldn’t physically comply.
Worsening conditions: Jail environments are traumatic and inaccessible, lacking proper mental health care, mobility aids, or accommodations.
For someone with cerebral palsy, a stay in jail can lead to missed medication, untreated pressure sores, and even permanent physical damage, not to mention the emotional trauma that comes along with it.
Real-Life Consequences
There are countless stories of people with disabilities and mental illness being mischaracterized and mistreated by the system:
In Phoenix, Arizona, a deaf black man with cerebral palsy was repeatedly punched and tasered by, what I can only describe as moronic police officers that I wouldn’t trust with sock’em boppers.
Albuquerque, New Mexico: a man with disabilities was having a hard time checking out at Target, and was unnecessarily accosted by a police officer.
Calhoun County, Michigan: a woman with physical disabilities and mental impairments was manhandled by jail staff.
These aren’t isolated incidents—they are patterns of harm rooted in ableism and the absence of real crisis response infrastructure.
Because if we don’t change things, especially in Michigan, these individuals will end up worse off in Prison, where Michigan DOC will further violate their rights.
What Needs to Change
As always, the system is a nightmare and needs so much work. Here’s where we can start:
Invest in Crisis Response Teams Cities should fund non-police response teams made up of mental health professionals and disability advocates who can de-escalate and support without force.
Disability Training for First Responders Ongoing, in-depth training must go beyond checking a box and involve disability-led education rooted in lived experience.
Decriminalize Disability We must stop equating difference or distress with danger. Behaviors tied to neurological or psychiatric disability should not be grounds for arrest.
Provide Real Alternatives to Jail Pre-arrest diversion, stabilization units, and peer-led crisis centers should be standard in every jurisdiction.
Wrapping it Up
People with disabilities deserve dignity.
People in crisis deserve care.
The criminal justice system continues to fail both.
And until we transform our response to mental health emergencies from punishment to compassion.
Because no one should grow up believing that having a disability means you’re one bad day away from a jail cell.
