Call for prison brain screening
Reading time: 1 minute
The National Prisoner Healthcare Network has called for a pilot study to be set up to examine the practicality and validity of introducing screening for head injury in prison to identify prisoners who may have committed crimes because of historic injuries.
Research has shown that the risk of violent crime is more than three times higher among those with a history of brain injury than the general population - and that it can also reduce tolerance to alcohol.
It is also known that prevalence of a history of admission to hospital with a head injury is significantly higher in prisoners than in the general population.
While currently prisoners do receive a medical assessment on arrival at jail, the signs of brain injury may not be apparent even to doctors during the routine assessment.
The Network also called for NHS services in prisons and local brain injury services to work together more closely, and for setting up a secure brain injury rehabilitation unit in Scotland for prisoners to be considered.
The Scottish Prison Service said new work was being taken forward to train staff to spot prisoners whose behaviour may be affected by a past brain injury.
Share this article:
Subscribe to our newsletter to not miss articles like this one:
SUBSCRIBE
