Young people with cognitive impairments’ interactions with police in Queensland: A report to the Queensland Centre for Social Science Innovation (QCSSI)

Young people with cognitive impairments (YPWCI) are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. As police are gatekeepers to this system, their interactions with YPWCI are vital to understand. This research begins to address this gap in knowledge by considering the views of both YPWCI who have had contact with the police, and a range of service providers who work with this group. The exploratory study identified a number of key areas for future research. Chief among these is the multiple complex needs of YPWCI who come into contact with the police, and strategies for both minimising and improving this contact to address the overrepresentation of this group