A simple support program could be helping former inmates stay out of prison.
A new Indiana University study found incarcerated people with traumatic brain injuries were far less likely to return to prison when they received education, coping skills training and post-release support.
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The study, published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, found the return-to-prison rate dropped from 46 to 17-percent.
"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.
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Researchers say the program also cut criminal justice costs, saving taxpayer money.
"This work provides critical evidence that targeted support for justice-involved individuals with brain injuries is a winning strategy," said Dawn Neumann, PhD, co-author on the study and a former IU School of Medicine researcher who is now manager of brain injury research at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute at Hackensack Meridian Health in Edison, New Jersey. "I hope this research serves as a clear call for policy and practice changes."
