Date of Presentation
5-4-2023 12:00 AM
College
School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
The United States has one of the largest growing prison populations in the world. A large amount of social and economic resources go towards the cost and maintenance of correctional facilities each year. Additionally, the current correctional programs are insufficient in assisting inmates with getting back to society; especially those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who often remain undiagnosed and are usually treated unfairly in the prison system instead of receiving the appropriate help. Prior scholarly work has shown that patients in the post-TBI stage are more likely to enter the judicial system. In the recent population-based cohort study, the risk of being convicted with serious charges is estimated to be 39% higher than those without any prior incident of TBI. Inmates suffering from TBI have a higher chance of returning to prison or committing more crimes after being released from the prison system. These factors emphasize the importance of identifying those with a history of TBI and providing them with appropriate treatment to avoid unnecessary incarceration and recidivism. This would result in a lower incarceration rate which could eventually lower the costs of the criminal justice system that could be redistributed in other societal sectors or be invested in ex-convicted individuals back into society. This review paper summarizes various social, psychological, and neurological issues from which the adult incarcerated male population with TBI are more likely to suffer, followed by the problems they deal with during and post-incarceration period. Knowing these factors is crucial as they help researchers and various governmental sectors recognize the issue and provide adequate help for this vulnerable population in order to prevent recidivism and help them acclimate to society instead of punishing them wrongfully and exacerbating their and societal problems.
Keywords
Traumatic Brain Injury, Prisons, Recidivism, Male, Adult, United States
Disciplines
Behavioral Medicine | Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms | Community Health | Health and Medical Administration | Health Economics | Health Services Administration | Medical Humanities | Medicine and Health | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nervous System Diseases | Neurology | Other Mental and Social Health | Other Public Health | Public Economics | Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance
Document Type
Poster
Included in
Behavioral Medicine Commons, Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons, Community Health Commons, Health and Medical Administration Commons, Health Economics Commons, Health Services Administration Commons, Medical Humanities Commons, Medicine and Health Commons, Nervous System Diseases Commons, Neurology Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Other Public Health Commons, Public Economics Commons, Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons
The Correlation between Traumatic Brain Injury and Incarceration Among Adult Males in the United States
The United States has one of the largest growing prison populations in the world. A large amount of social and economic resources go towards the cost and maintenance of correctional facilities each year. Additionally, the current correctional programs are insufficient in assisting inmates with getting back to society; especially those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who often remain undiagnosed and are usually treated unfairly in the prison system instead of receiving the appropriate help. Prior scholarly work has shown that patients in the post-TBI stage are more likely to enter the judicial system. In the recent population-based cohort study, the risk of being convicted with serious charges is estimated to be 39% higher than those without any prior incident of TBI. Inmates suffering from TBI have a higher chance of returning to prison or committing more crimes after being released from the prison system. These factors emphasize the importance of identifying those with a history of TBI and providing them with appropriate treatment to avoid unnecessary incarceration and recidivism. This would result in a lower incarceration rate which could eventually lower the costs of the criminal justice system that could be redistributed in other societal sectors or be invested in ex-convicted individuals back into society. This review paper summarizes various social, psychological, and neurological issues from which the adult incarcerated male population with TBI are more likely to suffer, followed by the problems they deal with during and post-incarceration period. Knowing these factors is crucial as they help researchers and various governmental sectors recognize the issue and provide adequate help for this vulnerable population in order to prevent recidivism and help them acclimate to society instead of punishing them wrongfully and exacerbating their and societal problems.