Wow, this is a major step forward for prisons....in Scotland, that is. Yes, Scotland is showing an admirably progressive stance in calling for all prisoners to be tested for signs of brain injury. Again, this is something Jack has been trying to get the United States to do for years. Let's hope Scotland is successful in getting this implemented. One more argument for our side as we continue to struggle here in America.
PRISONERS in Scotland’s jails should undergo tests for signs of brain injury and be prescribed mood-altering drugs to help bring down re-offending rates, according to experts.
Studies have shown that up to half of the prison population have suffered brain trauma caused by accidents and assaults that could be a factor in persistent offending.
Now the Howard League Scotland, a penal reform charity, is urging the Scottish Prison Service to introduce screening programmes to pick up injuries that could be treated using drugs. Research has found that criminals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – which can be caused by brain injury – who took drugs such as Ritalin were between 32 and 41 per cent less likely to re-offend.
Trials of screening systems are already taking place south of the Border, including at HMP Leeds, and will be rolled out to include young offenders found to have traumatic brain injury.
The Howard League believes Scotland should also become a test base, as while crime has fallen to a 37-year low, re-offending rates have remained high, with 42 per cent of offenders committing another crime within two years.
A spokeswoman for the Howard League Scotland added: “There is a need to better understand the complexity of issues that contribute to offending behaviour. Research suggests a higher incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) amongst the prison population than in the population at large, and this clearly has implications for those working across the criminal justice system.
“Howard League Scotland has written to the chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to highlight these findings and to emphasise the importance of early identification of those with a history of TBI.
According to researchers, although brain injuries can affect judgment, memory and behaviour and lead to a pattern of offending, this “hidden disability” can go unrecognised and untreated.
Professor Huw Williams, a neuropsychology expert from Exeter University who has carried out brain injury research in prison populations, said: “Given the prevalence of brain injuries in the prison population, it is very important that judges and sheriffs do know if it has been a factor in a person’s behaviour.