This is a major oversight as recent studies have shown that prevalence of brain injury among prisoners in the UK is as high as 60%, and having a brain injury increases the chances of re-offending. Any successful reform to the prison system therefore needs to take this population into account and provide support and rehabilitation where appropriate.
The White Paper proposals are incorporated into The Prisons and Courts Bill 2017 which is currently making its way through the House of Commons and Lords before it is enshrined in law.
Headway has responded to the government’s proposals as part of the Criminal Justice Acquired Brain Injury Interest Group (CJABIIG), which was established in 2011 by a number of organisations that aim to raise awareness of the link between offending behaviour and acquired brain injury within the criminal justice system.
The response calls for brain injury screening, staff training and rehabilitation in the context of a brain injury, to be put on the prison reform agenda.
You can download the response in the Related resources section below.
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