Defending the Disabled

What It Covers

NPR examines LA County Public Defender Noah Cox's pioneering unit that identifies cognitive disabilities in criminal defendants, secures neuropsychological testing, and advocates for diversion programs instead of incarceration for eligible clients.

Key Questions Answered

• •Disability prevalence in prisons: People in state and federal prisons are twice as likely to report disabilities compared to the general population, with cognitive disabilities being the most common type reported by incarcerated individuals.
• •LA County diversion model: Cox's team provides free neuropsychological testing through graduate students, documents childhood disability history through family interviews, and secures lifelong state services through California's regional centers for eligible defendants facing felonies.
• •Four pillars of successful diversion: Effective alternatives to incarceration require safe housing, healthcare access, social connections, and meaningful purpose. Programs fail when they don't address the full complexity of underlying issues like untreated disabilities, mental illness, and substance abuse.
• •Victim vulnerability statistics: People with cognitive disabilities face twice the risk of becoming violent crime victims compared to the general population, often due to difficulty judging social situations, high suggestibility, and challenges distinguishing trustworthy individuals from predators.