Presenters
Ben Waters is an autistic person with lived experience in the criminal justice system (CJS), he is currently a graduate research student looking at using the lived experiences of those with autism to develop better policy frameworks for the CJS. Ben is also a former policy and political adviser with experience in Australia and the UK. Ben also has a range of mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, with his autism only diagnosed in 2018 at the age of 37. Ben’s journey within the CJS began in 2021. Ben's autism and mental health were represented poorly in the media, with one headline suggesting he ‘Weaponised his Autism’. There was also considerable stigmatisation, misunderstandings, and no supports available related to his autism and mental health from within the entire CJS, including forensic health and mental health services. Ben’s story is not about blaming but demonstrating the difficulties people living with individual needs face in the CJS. Ben’s experiences and professional background immediately highlighted to him that these systems were failing not only him but also the many others he saw through his journey. Ben and his sister together formed Project1in70 aimed at educating, informing and challenging governments, CJ professionals and the community on these important issues. Ben’s research complements the work of Project1in70 by investigating how the voices of those with autism can inform the design of appropriate support systems and training programmes within CJS institutions.
Dani Grigoriev is a community support worker, advocate, student and founder of Project1in70. Dani’s background was never in social justice, her passion was ignited after the 2021 arrest of her brother who lives with a range of mental health and neurodivergent conditions. Together, Dani and her brother were faced with many stigmatisms and harmful language surrounding his autism and mental health from not only CJS agencies such as the police and courts but also the legal defence team, the media, and the wider community. Although only in its infancy, Dani’s formation of Project1in70 aims to highlight, educate, inform, and challenge governments, stakeholders, professionals, and the community on important issues and needs of those living with autism, mental health and disabilities who connect with the CJS. As a mother of a 10-year-old daughter, Dani wants to ensure the needs of future generations with these conditions are at the forefront of policymakers’ decision-making. Dani threw herself into research on current legislation, policies and procedures and gained qualifications in community services and advocacy to ensure she could be best placed to take on this challenging and demanding role. In addition to advocating for the most vulnerable in our community, Dani continues to educate herself through her research and continuous study. Dani uses her person-centred, comprehensive approach to recognise and respond to individual needs and believes that knowledge is a powerful tool and hopes to be able to connect with more individuals who have lived experience to help improve the frameworks within the CJS.
