People involved in the justice system experience traumatic brain injuries at a much higher rate, believed to be somewhere around 60 %, than national general population.
Traumatic Brain Injury Support Decreases Likelihood of Returning to Prison
People involved in the justice system experience traumatic brain injuries at a much higher rate, believed to be somewhere around 60 %, than national general population.
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A team of Indiana University School of Medicine scientists have developed and tested a new intervention for incarcerated people suffering from traumatic brain injuries, with the new tactic already showing promising results in keeping offenders from returning to prison or facing repeat arrest.
A recent study, published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, shared results from the Re-entry Continuum for Brain Injury( RCBI) trial, which included 91 Putnamville Correctional Facility inmates with a history of traumatic brain injury( TBI). About half of the men were given education on brain injuries, coping skills training, anger and aggression management, in addition to 12 months of post-release neuro case management.
This group returned to prison at a lower rate( 17 %) than the control group( 46 %). The men were also re-arrested at a lower rate( 43 % to 86 %). Lowering the incarceration and arrest rates of the RCBI subjects also led to a 35 % drop in related criminal justice expenses, thus saving taxpayer money.
People involved in the justice system experience traumatic brain injuries at a much higher rate— believed to be somewhere around 60 %— than national general population averages( 8.5 %) and often do not know what has happened to them.
“ Many participants described RCBI as a‘ light bulb moment’ when they realized that challenges with memory, attention, impulsivity or emotional regulation could be related to a brain injury rather than a personal failing,” said Devan R. Parrott, PhD, associate research professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and the study’ s lead investigator.
“ The most surprising part wasn’ t just how many participants had undiagnosed brain injuries, it was seeing what happened when they finally understood them.”