Events

Recent research shows that the prison population has a much higher proportion of mild-to-severe brain injuries than is generally found in the UK. Studies have found that offenders with a history of brain injury (especially when this occurred in childhood) will have committed offences at an earlier age than offenders with no history of a brain injury, or would carry a higher probability of offending. This research, showing many other conclusions, will be presented by Professor Huw Williams (Associate Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Exeter) to set the scene.

We aim to address these findings and are working towards mapping out what services are available, and what needs to be available, to those who have brain injuries and have either just become known to criminal justice system, are offenders/ re-offenders or are on probation.

Headway Devon are a Devon-based charity working with people with acquired brain injury and their families and carers.

Brain injury can be acquired in childhood, adolescence or adulthood. Two of the most common causes of brain injury are road traffic accidents or violence causing trauma to the head. Every year 5,000 people in Devon are admitted to hospital with head injuries, 500 of which are considered moderate-to-severe, and thousands more people sustain brain injuries through medical causes such as strokes, tumours and meningitis.

The effects of brain injury are far-reaching, ranging from memory loss and poor concentration to disinhibition and anger management issues. These disabilities are often invisible and society, as a whole, has very little understanding of the challenges brain injury poses.

We are inviting professionals from across the criminal justice system and other interested parties with the aim of having as rich and diverse a discussion as possible. If a representative from your organisation is not available to attend, we would appreciate any information that you are able to share with us or to point us in a direction you deem appropriate.