The criminal justice system is not geared to dealing with people who have an intellectual disability. For this and other reasons, crimes against or by people with an intellectual disability may often go unreported. Police may also be reluctant to charge or prosecute offences against a person who has an intellectual disability, or perpetrated by a person with such a disability, because of concerns about the reliability of witnesses or issues to do with the person's capacity to form criminal intent. Within some organisations there may also be an "institutional culture", which views problems occurring within that facility as requiring resolution internally rather than by the justice system.

The issues and procedures relating to people who have an intellectual disability who become involved with the criminal justice system are discussed in Chapter 3*1 Disability and Criminal Justice. Also see: Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service Inc.'s recent publication People who have an Intellectual Disability and the Criminal Justice System. Details are about this publication are available from Villamanta's website at www.villamanta.org.au.