DISORGANIZED CRIME: LEARNING DISABILITY AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Published in: Criminal Justice, Summer, 1998.
DISORGANIZED CRIME: LEARNING DISABILITY AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Nancy Cowardin, Ph.D.
OVERVIEW
Between three and six percent of school-aged children are diagnosed with Learning Disability (LD), a specific cognitive disorder which affects the learning of academic and social information despite otherwise normal intellect. Yet, it is widely estimated that 20 to 55% of criminal justice clients qualify as having specific to pervasive Learning Disabilities (Keilitz & Miller, 1980; Larson, 1988; Brier, 1989; Cowardin, 1998). This finding is of great significance to defense attorneys at the trial and sentencing phases of the criminal justice process. It also raises theoretical and practical questions which cannot be ignored by educators or the criminal justice system.