The Detention Alternative for Autistic Youth Court: A Case Study

The Detention Alternative for Autistic Youth Court (DAAY Court) is located in the 8th Judicial District of Las Vegas, Nevada. DAAY Court is a court-supervised program dedicated solely to youth involved in the juvenile justice system with a primary diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). DAAY Court is the first and only diversionary court solely dedicated to youth with ASD, even though ASD is the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the world, youth with ASD are seven times more likely to interact with the criminal justice system (CJS) than their neurotypical peers, and report disproportionately worse outcomes when they do. Research suggests that courts and jurors alike agree that characteristics of ASD diminish criminal culpability. Alternative-to-incarceration courts are known to save stakeholder dollars, enhance public trust in the CJS, garner overall judge approval, and outperform incarceration when it comes to certain subsets of offenders. This project aims to investigate the DAAY Court through an interview with its presiding judge and a series of non-participant docket observations to familiarize the reader with the Court and inspire jurisdictions to found an alternative court for youth with ASD.