Lurie family makes $50 million donation for autism research
The family of owner Jeffrey Lurie will donate $50 million to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine for the creation of the Lurie Autism Institute, which will 'drive discoveries with transformative impact for those living with autism spectrum disorder.'
'We established the Lurie Autism Institute to spark a new era of scientific discovery in autism,' Lurie said in a press release. 'CHOP and Penn Medicine bring unmatched expertise and a proven record of innovation, and together, they have the tools to unlock answers that have eluded the field for far too long. By investing in cutting-edge science and the infrastructure to move it forward, we're aiming not just to understand autism more deeply — but to transform what's possible for individuals and families worldwide.'
More than 75 million people worldwide live with ASD. In the United States, the condition affects one in 31 children and one in 45 adults.
The enormous commitment from Lurie and his family is the latest example of Lurie's efforts to help those with ASD. In 2018, Lurie founded the Eagles Autism Foundation.
You can make your own donation to the effort here, if you like.
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Communication difficulties can hinder their ability to advocate for themselves or respond appropriately to orders from staff, increasing the risk of disciplinary action. Additionally, the sensory overload of prison—loud noises, lack of privacy, harsh lighting—can be overwhelming and contribute to heightened anxiety or meltdowns. The lack of specialized mental health support or ASD-specific accommodations within most prison systems further isolates these individuals, making incarceration especially traumatic and destabilizing for them. Inmates who feel threatened in the general population may request placement in Protective Custody (PC) to safeguard themselves. This typically involves being moved to the Special Housing Unit (SHU)—a section of the prison designed primarily for those facing disciplinary action or pending investigations. 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Barrera-Leaf told me, 'Parents, who have helped their child overcome the bullying and isolation of childhood, often feel helpless when they go to bed each night knowing that their son is living in fear and could be on the receiving end of abuses in prison.' There are stories of new inmates who report to prison and are told by BOP staff that it is not safe to go on the yard if they know the general population is not friendly to sex offenders. The inmate is placed in protective custody, SHU, and will sit until they can be sent to another institution, a process that can take months to complete. While movement brings the hope of safety, it also takes a toll on families who wait for word on the conditions of the next prison. Attorney Kelley has worked with many of these families and told me, 'Families of convicted sex offenders are often terrified for their loved ones' safety. Sex offenders are at the bottom of the food chain in prison and a constant target.' The BOP's Position The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) classifies individuals with sex offense convictions using a Public Safety Factor (PSF) designation, which automatically excludes them from placement in minimum-security camps—the lowest custody level. While the BOP employs a point-based system to determine appropriate placement, sex offenders are assigned a PSF regardless of their score. As a result, even those who would otherwise qualify for a camp based on low security points are placed in Low security institutions, representing a significant increase in custody level and restrictions. In addition to finding safe housing limitations, the BOP imposes communication restrictions on many sex offenders. One such restriction is limited or denied access to CorrLinks, the BOP's monitored email system. Advocates like Barrera-Leaf have pushed for change, emphasizing that family contact is vital for inmate well-being and reentry. In correspondence with the BOP, Barrera-Leaf noted that restricting email access "… severely hampers communication for Adults in Custody already struggling with the challenges of incarceration." CorrLinks offers a basic messaging platform that does not support hyperlinks or attachments but is still a crucial tool for staying connected. With phone calls capped at 300 minutes per month and limited to 15 minutes per session, sex offenders who lack email access are left with few options to maintain ties with their families and communities—relationships proven to be essential for rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. As to the unequal treatment of sex offenders in its prisons, Donald Murphy with the BOP's Office of Public Affairs provided a statement, 'As a general matter, the BOP takes seriously our duty to protect all individuals entrusted to our custody, as well as maintain the safety of correctional employees and the community. As part of that obligation, we review safety protocols and implement corrective actions when identified as necessary in those reviews to ensure that our mission of operating safe, secure, and humane facilities is fulfilled.' Judges Recognize the Problem Joshua Fields was an inmate in federal prison who believed he had been incorrectly classified as a sex offender. Life behind bars was pure hell for Mr. Fields who also suffered from mental illness. Judge U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty held a hearing and asked the BOP to consider removing the public safety factor for sex offender. Neither was done. In his next video hearing, McCafferty appeared on screen beaten and bruised. Upon seeing him, Judge McCafferty made the following statement, 'Mr. Fields made an oral request for the court to transfer him to the Strafford County House of Corrections or alternatively to order his immediate release on home confinement. The court construes his request as a motion for compassionate release.' The court ordered legal counsel be appointed for Fields on an expedited basis for a compassionate release hearing. During the next hearing, Fields was being held at the Strafford County House of Corrections, a place he and the judge believed would be safer. Fields appeared on the video screen with a red face and blackeye, explained that his orbital bone had been fractured by a prisoner at the jail who had discovered through an internet search that Fields was classified by BOP as a sex offender. Judge McCafferty ordered that Fields be released, writing in her Order, 'In this case, the error in Fields's original PSR [Presentence Report] that caused BOP to misclassify Fields as a sex offender is akin to a sentencing error. BOP's subsequent noncompliance with the court order compounded the error and prevented him from completing rehabilitative programming ... the mistake in Field's PSR and BOP's noncompliance with a court order, have made Fields's sentence disproportionately punitive.' At that hearing, neither government prosecutors nor US Probation objected to Fields' request for immediate release from BOP custody. Attorney Kelley told me that everyone in the criminal justice system could benefit from more understanding of the challenges people on the spectrum face in terms of their deficits in communication, understanding, and socialization. 'These challenges,' she said, "are magnified in the prison environment where people on the spectrum can be oblivious to the unwritten rules and the target of bullying.
