Disability rights advocates and mental health professionals — including Tom Crishon of The Arc of Indiana — gathered in Indianapolis on May 12th to speak out against the scheduled May 20th execution of Benjamin Ritchie, who has extensive brain damage due to partial fetal alcohol syndrome and exposure to multiple neurotoxins. Indiana law prohibits the death penalty for a person with an intellectual disability — legislation that The Arc of Indiana helped enact in 1994. The following is Tom Crishon’s statement, made on behalf of The Arc of Indiana.
Good morning. My name is Tom Crishon, and I’m the chief legal officer with The Arc of Indiana.
We are here today because we believe in the inherent dignity of every person, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. How we treat the most vulnerable among us reflects who we are and what we stand for.
Ben Ritchie lives with profound brain damage and developmental disabilities. The court has acknowledged that he has been diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder—a condition that limits his ability to understand consequences, regulate behavior, and make reasoned decisions.
At The Arc of Indiana, we do not take lightly the pain and loss caused by acts of violence. We don’t ignore harm, and we don’t excuse responsibility. But disability must matter in how we respond to these tragedies. People with significant cognitive and developmental disabilities experience the world differently—and our systems must recognize and respond to that reality.
This is not only about one man. It’s about what kind of state we choose to be.
We urge Governor Braun to consider Ben Ritchie’s disabilities, to see the whole person, and to show mercy.
True justice considers not just what someone did, but who they are, and what they were capable of understanding.
Justice demands accountability, but it also demands mercy.
Thank you.