FASD and Justice Issues
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a term that describes a range of disabilities that may affect people whose mothers drank alcohol while they were pregnant (Public Health Agency of Canada). People with FASD live with a permanent brain injury and may have difficulty:
- With daily living skills and functions
- Learning from their experiences
- Thinking things through
- Understanding the consequences of their actions
- Interacting with other people
FASD is 100% preventable. There is no safe time or safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant.
People with FASD may be involved in the justice system as offenders, victims or witnesses. They need support throughout the legal process to help them have equal access to justice.
The Department of Justice provides training, presentations and workshops to justice staff, other GNWT staff and community stakeholders to help them provide better services to clients who may live with FASD.
Resources:
- Fact sheet
- Project statistics
- Resource list
- Flowchart: Through the Justice System
- Presentation outline
- Presentation: Crime Prevention conference, March 2010
- Presentation: FASD in Corrections
- Handouts: Case Management conference, June 2010
For more information on Community Justice programs and initiatives, please contact:
FASD Project Coordinator
(867) 873-7010
Last updated: February 2011
