Consultant urges diagnosis and corrections training to address FASD in reentry

Carolyn Hartness, a tribal elder and consultant who has worked on reentry and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) issues for more than three decades, gave a presentation on how FASD contributes to incarceration and what corrections systems can do to mitigate harm.

"The most important thing is to diagnose these so having awareness, getting training for correctional staff, I think can really improve identifying FASD and obviously helping those who have it," Hartness said. She described FASD as a lifelong umbrella diagnosis that often goes under-detected, and explained common cognitive and behavioral patterns — poor memory, difficulty processing sequential instructions, oversensitivity to sound and light — that can lead to repeated disciplinary problems or incarceration.

Hartness recommended practical interventions that can be implemented inside facilities and in community reentry work: structured routines, one-direction-at-a-time instructions, reduced sensory stimulation, consistent scheduling, and individualized support plans. She said corrections staff and service providers should treat many FASD-related behaviors as disabilities needing accommodation rather than as willful defiance.

Hartness also urged systems to invest in early identification and to tailor reentry planning to cognitive and sensory needs. She described collaborative, family-and-community-based "circles of care" as a model for coordinating diagnosis, counseling and supports across systems.

Council members acknowledged that training and diagnosis would require resources and time; Hartness encouraged agencies to start with awareness and incremental changes that reduce triggers and support daily functioning.